'How Did American Women Act? Heroism on the Home Front’

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents “How Did American Women Act? Heroism on the Home Front” at The Paley Center For Media on Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m. The program is co-presented with the National Women’s History Museum and Women in Film.

Women’s roles changed significantly in World War II America. Many were conscripted to join the war effort and wielded new power through jobs outside the home. Their influence wasn’t limited to factory floors. Some women used their social and political positions to fight back against isolationism and sound the alarm about the plight of Europe’s Jews. A select few even put their lives at risk to organize acts of rescue.

Guests will join the Museum to explore the role of the everyday woman during this era, as well as the mindset and motivations of a few extraordinary individuals who dared to act, including Lois Gunden, Edith Rogers, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Panelists include:

• Denise Kiernan, Writer and producer, as well as author of the New York Times bestseller The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II.
• Gretchen Skidmore, Director, Education Initiatives, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
• Moderator: Dr. Lori Ann Terjesen, Director of Education, National Women’s History Museum.

“Women were significant contributors in the workplace and society in general during this time period. Our program provides an incredible service in profiling these pivotal achievements,” said Marla Eglash Abraham, the Museum’s Western Regional Director. “We have a superb panel that speaks to these indelible contributions throughout the era.”

In the 26 years since it opened, the Museum has educated and inspired more than 45 million visitors, including more than 10 million children and nearly 100 heads of state. A permanent reminder on the National Mall in Washington of what can occur when the world fails to take action, the Museum inspires citizens and leaders alike to confront hate and indifference, end genocide and promote human dignity.

The Museum’s work is having a significant impact — here in the Western Region and around the world. Hundreds of Western regional schoolteachers — and thousands more from all 50 states — are trained each year in how to deliver quality Holocaust education while making it relevant and meaningful to young people. The Museum’s leadership programs are inspiring judges, police and military officers in various Western Region states to heed the lessons of the Holocaust and understand their roles as safeguards of democracy. The Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide is dedicated to stimulating timely global action to prevent genocide and to catalyze an international response when genocide does occur.

The “How Did American Women Act? Heroism on the Home Front” program is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required at ushmm.org/events/women-la. For more information, contact the Museum’s Western Regional office at 310.556.3222 or email at western@ushmm.org.

The Paley Center for Media is located at 465 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. A public parking lot is located across the street at 428 N Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, CA.

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.