Potential Holocaust Professors Weighed

Harvard will soon have a Helen Zelaznik Professor for Holocaust and Cognate Studies and begin offering regular courses on the Holocaust to undergraduate and graduate students.

The position was created when former New York City deputy mayor Kenneth Lipper endowed the chair in memory of "a family member who died in the Holocaust," according to the Boston Globe.

Harvard Associate Professor of Government and Social Studies Daniel J. Goldhagen is a candidate for the position, the Globe reported.

Goldhagen is the author of last year's award-winning bestseller "Hitler's Willing Executioners," which argues that ordinary Germans participated extensively in the Nazi genocide.

Officials declined to comment on Goldhagen's chances for the appointment.

"It's departmental policy to not comment on searches while they are on-going," said Professor of History William C. Kirby, chair of the history department.

"Like all tenured positions, the [University] president will make the appointment," he said.

Candidates for the position also include Professor Christopher R. Browning of Pacific Lutheran University, Professor Omer Bartov of Rutgers University, Professor Dan Diner, a historian at German and Israeli universities and Professor Samuel Kassow of Trinity College in Hartford, according to the Globe.

No specific date has been set for the announcement of the winning candidate, according to Harvard spokesperson Alex Huppe.

Although a candidate has not yet been selected, students are excited about the possibilities presented by the new position.

"The Holocaust was such a momentous event in world history, and it's about time we are offered a course in it," Martin R. Thiry '00 said.

Besides offering regular courses on the Holocaust, the chosen professor will train graduate students in fields pertaining to scholarly study of the historical event.

The appointment will most likely be based in the history department and will be a joint appointment with the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and the Center for Jewish Studies, according to an announcement released by the history department.

Goldhagen declined to comment yesterday. Other candidates could not be reached

No specific date has been set for the announcement of the winning candidate, according to Harvard spokesperson Alex Huppe.

Although a candidate has not yet been selected, students are excited about the possibilities presented by the new position.

"The Holocaust was such a momentous event in world history, and it's about time we are offered a course in it," Martin R. Thiry '00 said.

Besides offering regular courses on the Holocaust, the chosen professor will train graduate students in fields pertaining to scholarly study of the historical event.

The appointment will most likely be based in the history department and will be a joint appointment with the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and the Center for Jewish Studies, according to an announcement released by the history department.

Goldhagen declined to comment yesterday. Other candidates could not be reached