A National Exhibit Visits the River Parishes
Starting December 5, 2025, the St. Charles Parish Library will host the Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit in Destrehan, created by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.
The exhibition runs through January 10, 2026, and examines how Americans understood, discussed, and responded to Nazism and genocide during the 1930s and 1940s. It is a rare opportunity to see a nationally curated exhibit presented locally, free and open to everyone.
Why You Should Make Time to Visit
We have not seen the exhibit yet, but we are looking forward to it. Opportunities like this do not often come to the New Orleans suburbs, and they bring history into a space where the entire community can learn together. This nationally curated exhibition revisits questions that remain important: what people knew, how they reacted, and what silence can allow.
We plan to visit because it is an experience meant to spark reflection and conversation. The Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit in Destrehan is for anyone who wants to think about how ordinary people make moral choices when facts, fear, and responsibility intersect.
In 2010, we went to Berlin during a tour of Europe. One of the best exhibits we went to was the Berlin Jewish Museum. It was one of the most sobering museum experiences we’ve ever had. It is hard history.
It is easier not to learn about this, but at the end of the day, we, and I mean we as in all of us, can’t forget this history. We have to tell the stories over and over again, at least until we learn the lesson.
Opening Reception and Community Programs
The Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit in Destrehan opens with a reception on Friday, December 5, at 5:30 p.m. There will be light refreshments, and at 6:30 p.m., Michael Jacobs from the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience will give a keynote presentation. He will also introduce a companion display titled New Americans in a New Land, which tells the story of Holocaust survivors who began new lives in New Orleans.
The library will also host several related public programs that connect to the exhibit:
- Japanese American Incarceration During WWII on December 10 at 6 p.m.
Brandon Daake from the National WWII Museum will discuss how mass incarceration affected more than 110,000 Japanese Americans during wartime. - Confronting Holocaust Denial: Why Truth Matters on December 11 at 6 p.m.
Dr. Craig Saucier will explore the origins and persistence of Holocaust denial and why truth and evidence remain essential in public conversations. Cristina took graduate courses under Dr. Saucier and can personally confirm that his lectures are well worth attending. And as he is retiring soon, this will be one of his last lectures. - The Ancient and Medieval Roots of Antisemitism on December 17 at 6 p.m.
This lecture traces centuries of prejudice that contributed to later forms of hatred and discrimination. - Honoring Holocaust Memory Through Rescued Recipes on January 6 at 6 p.m.
Chef Alon Shaya will share stories that connect cuisine, culture, and remembrance. - Book Discussion: Night by Elie Wiesel on January 7 at 6 p.m.
A community discussion centered on one of the most powerful memoirs of the Holocaust. - Film Screening: Casablanca (1943) on January 9 at 6 p.m.
A movie screening and discussion at the Lafon Performing Arts Center.
Each program extends the reach of the Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit in Destrehan, turning the library into a space for connection and reflection.
Why Community Events Like This Matter
Events like the Americans and the Holocaust remind us that meaningful education happens in many settings. Public libraries make complex history accessible, encouraging people to ask questions, read critically, and connect lessons from the past to issues we face now.
Photo by Bibi595, CC BY-SA 3.0.
You do not need to be a historian to find value here. Even one visit can help deepen your understanding of how information, fear, and conscience influence us all.
Plan Your Visit
Location:
St. Charles Parish Library – East Regional Branch
160 West Campus Drive, Destrehan, Louisiana
Dates:
December 5, 2025, through January 10, 2026
Admission is free and open to the public.
Exhibit Sponsors
The Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit in Destrehan is part of Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries, an educational initiative of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.
About the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum:
The Museum is America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It preserves memory and promotes learning about human rights and moral responsibility. Visit ushmm.org.
About the American Library Association:
The ALA supports library programs that turn access to information into opportunities for lifelong learning. Visit ala.org.
Final Thoughts
We plan to attend the Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit in Destrehan and encourage others throughout the Greater New Orleans area to do the same. This free event offers a space to think together about history that still shapes our world.
Add it to your winter calendar, spend an hour walking through the displays, and take part in the conversations that follow. Learning and reflection are still some of the best things we can share as a community.
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