WESTPORT – A nonprofit organization based in Fairfield will present “Fighting Antisemitism and Celebrating Community: An Introduction to the Shoah Memorial” Sunday, April 12, at the Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road. The event was originally scheduled in January and was postponed due to snow.

Shoah Memorial Fairfield, Connecticut (SMFC) will present the talk, which focuses on how to transform the lessons of the past into a shield for the future. The presentation is a first look at the Shoah Memorial, a landmark project coming to Fairfield that honors history while combating hate. Participants will learn how this local initiative aims to make a global impact.

Local celebrity and activist Jim Naughton will host the event. Expected guests include “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots” artist Victoria Milstein; Fairfield University Assistant to the President for Arts and Culture, Philip Eliasoph; holocaust survivor, Michael Schell; and founding educator of the Holocaust Resource Center of Greater Fairfield County, Shelly Kreiger.

The event is free, but a limited number of seats remain. To order tickets, click here.

The SMFC project began when Paul Burger, chair of the project, attended the unveiling of the original “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots” sculpture at LeBauer Park in Greensboro, N.C. Moved by its message, Burger was compelled to bring the memorial to his community to ensure its broader impact.

Fairfield University emerged as the ideal site. A Jesuit Catholic institution, the university is home to the nationally respected Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. The university accepted the gift and embraced the vision, recognizing the sculpture’s potential to inspire education, reflection, and dialogue among students and throughout the community.

The Westport Library

20 Jesup Road Westport, CT 06880 / 203-291-4800

www.westportlibrary.org

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