The King Family Library, the main branch of the Sevier County Public Library System, is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association (ALA) that examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.
Americans and the Holocaust will be on display at the King Family Library, from September 30-November 5, 2025. The exhibit will be open to the public during library operating hours in the Grand Reading Room on the second floor.
“We are so proud and honored to be selected from a competitive pool of applicants from all across the nation to host this important and powerful exhibition,” said Library Director Rhonda Tippitt. “We encourage community members to come explore it, and we’re excited to partner with our local schools to host field trips, as well. The exhibition will challenge people to not only ask ‘What would I have done?’ but also, ‘What will I do?’”
Library programs in support of the exhibition
All of the programs offered in support of Americans and the Holocaust are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, September 30 at 5 p.m. Opening Reception, Grand Reading Room and Burchfield Room.
We will be hosting an opening reception with refreshments. We are honored to welcome Dr. Daniel Greene as our opening speaker. Dr. Greene is a subject matter expert at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and curator of the Americans and the Holocaust Travelling Exhibit. He will also be leading a guided tour of the exhibit. All are welcome to attend.
Wednesday, October 8 at 6 p.m., Survivor Speaker, Burchfield Room.
East Tennessean and local Holocaust survivor, Sonja Dubois will share her story as a hidden child in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. You may also wish to check out her memoir, Finding Schifrah.
Thursday, October 16 at 6 p.m. G-d during the Holocaust: An Investigation of Faith and Traditions, Grand Reading Room.
Alison Vick of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission will moderate a panel of clergy members as they discuss the crisis of faith for victims and survivors of the Holocaust, as well as returning veterans and liberators of the camps.
Thursday, October 23 at 6 p.m., Survivor Speaker, Burchfield Room.
In partnership with the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, the King Family Library will welcome Holocaust Survivor and founder of the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation, Mark Schonwetter. Mr. Schonwetter will share his story as a child in Poland on the run from the Nazis.
Monday, October 27 at 6 p.m. Beyond Night: Investigating the World and Works of Elie Wiesel, Burchfield Room.
Alison Vick of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission will lead a program discussing the life and legacy of Nobel Laureate, writer, activist, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. A part of this program is a book discussion of Wiesel’s Night, which as chosen for our Sevier County Community Reads program this year.
Thursday, October 30 at 5:30 p.m. Six Million Voices: A Virtual Tour of Auschwitz, Burchfield Room.
This live guided tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp will include details related to our exhibit. The tour will last 1.5 hours with a 30-minute Q&A session to follow.
Field Trips
We are pleased to offer field trips to area schools. Please contact Lisa Christian at 865-365-1432 or email lchristian@sevierlibrary.org for more information or to set up a trip.
Concurrent and ongoing programs
Tennesseans and the Holocaust, Second Floor. This parallel exhibit from the Tennessee Holocaust Commission will highlight the connections of Tennesseans to the Holocaust – whether they were survivors immigrating after the war or veterans who liberated the camps.
The Holocaust Timelines, Third Floor Art Gallery. This timeline of events spans the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party through the end of World War II. It has three essential facets: laws and decrees, historical events, and American responses to the Holocaust.
Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries is an educational initiative of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.
Americans and the Holocaust was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine. Additional major funding was provided by the Bildners — Joan & Allen, Elisa Spungen & Rob, Nancy & Jim; and Jane and Daniel Och. The Museum’s exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990.
This travelling exhibit is brought to us by the American Library Association (ALA) and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM).
We are grateful for the partnership of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission in the following programs: Survivor speaker Mark Schonwetter, our clergy panel G-d during the Holocaust: An Investigation of Faith and Traditions, and our discussion of Elie Wiesel’s life and work Beyond Night: Investigating the World and Works of Elie Wiesel.
