10 January 3 • 2019
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Schindler’s List’ More
Relevant Than Ever
I

n 1993, Schindler’
s
List was released
in theaters and,
for the first time, the
horror and scale of the
Holocaust, or Shoah in
Hebrew, was brought
to life in a major
motion picture.
Steven Spielberg’
s
opus explored German industrialist
Oskar Schindler’
s crisis of conscience
that inspired him to take action and
save the lives of Jews by employing
them and protecting them as vital,
specialized workers. His actions spared
1,200 people from certain death.
The magnitude of the vision
presented in Schindler’
s List and its
global impact marked a turning point
to those of us in the field of Holocaust
education and remembrance.
Schindler’
s List opened the floodgates
for survivors and other witness to
come forward to share their stories
with the world, for the world was now
ready to listen.
The film also had an impact on the
filmmaker himself before, during and
after the production. Spielberg was
moved by his experiences directing
the film to take action and launch
what is today known as USC Shoah
Foundation. In establishing this
organization, Spielberg made two
promises to survivors of the Shoah
— one, that he would preserve their
stories in perpetuity, and two, that their
stories would be shared for educational
purposes around the globe.
Now the world is at a critical
crossroads similar to what the
generation in the film faced: Globally,
authoritarian governments are in
ascendance with fascist parties gaining
traction in many European nations.
Further, a stark rise in violence
targeting Jewish communities has
reflected rising anti-Semitism as not
seen since the Second World War.
Domestically, there has been a 57
percent spike in anti-Semitic incidents
as reported by the ADL — the largest
year-over-year jump, ever. Today’
s
headlines are flooded with news

reports of swastika graffiti, public Nazi
salutes and many other incidents,
including violent attacks and mass
murders.
This rise of anti-Semitism coupled
with a waning consciousness of the
Holocaust and other genocides among
millennials and younger Americans
has created a new urgency.
As Schindler’
s List approaches the
quarter-century mark, USC Shoah
Foundation is redoubling its efforts to
ensure that as many young people as
possible see this important film and
are challenged to think critically about
the consequences of their actions upon
other human beings, and also the
consequences of inaction.
In the 25 years that have transpired
since the film’
s original release, USC
Shoah Foundation’
s work to fulfill the
two promises made to the witnesses
has grown in size and scope: USC
Shoah Foundation currently houses
more than 115,000 hours of testimony
from more than 55,000 eyewitnesses,
and has expanded its efforts beyond
collecting and sharing the stories of the
survivors of the Holocaust to include
testimony from more than 100 years of
history, from the genocide in Armenia
to most recently the genocide of
Rohingya in Myanmar.
On Dec. 7, Schindler’
s List was
re-released in theaters, giving a new
generation the opportunity to have
those important conversations.
Schindler’
s List delivers a universal
message: The actions of one person
can make a difference in the lives of
others. Even in the face of the worst
of humanity, we all have within us
the power to take action — and to be
stronger than hate.
Our hope is that this is a message
the next generation is ready to hear,
because our survival depends on our
evolution into a more cohesive and
inclusive world.


Stephen D. Smith is executive director of the
USC Shoah Foundation and UNESCO chair in
Genocide Education. This op-ed first ran in the
Detroit News. Reprinted with permission.

Stephen D.
Smith

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