10 January 3 • 2019
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guest column

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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