November 8, 2007

U. of Kentucky Afflicted by Spurious E-Mail Chain Letter About the Holocaust

The University of Kentucky would like you to know that it is not afraid to teach students about the Holocaust, no matter what a widely circulated e-mail message claims.

A digital chain letter, which first surfaced earlier this year, castigates the institution for allegedly eliminating the Holocaust from its curriculum in deference to a vocal Muslim community that denied the tragedy ever took place. “This is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it,” the messages goes on to say, before asking each recipient to “continue the memorial chain” by forwarding the note to 10 more people.

In fact, though, the university has never even considered jettisoning courses in the Holocaust. Kentucky offers an interdisciplinary minor in Judaic studies, and its history department devotes an entire 300-level course to the Holocaust, campus officials said in a written statement today.

So how did the university get attacked for playing down one of history’s greatest atrocities? It appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Earlier this year an almost identical e-mail message made the rounds, chiding the UK — the United Kingdom, that is — for eliminating Holocaust education from its schools. (That message was only marginally less misleading, according to the veteran debunkers at Snopes: In fact, just one British history department stopped teaching about the Holocaust because the subject was considered controversial.)

Evidently a recipient of that message misunderstood the meaning of “UK” and — voilà! — Kentucky was embroiled in an unflattering urban legend.

Angry telephone calls and e-mail from alumni started trickling in about six months ago, according to Allison Elliott, a university spokeswoman, and Kentucky officials responded to the complaints individually, quoting a statement from the university’s assistant provost. But lately, the calls have been coming fast and furious, so the institution is hoping a publicity push will end the myth once and for all.

“I thought the issue was dead,” said Ms. Elliott. “But it got really bad during the past week. Everyone in our office had gotten a couple of calls about this, and there were a few e-mails sent straight to our president’s account.” —Brock Read

Comments

1. I actually took a graduate level history course on the Holocaust while completing my graduate studies at UK. I am shocked that such an untrue story such as this is being perpetuated through email messages. Clearly, someone does not have their facts correct about the educational offerings at UK.

   — cristoval g. ayala    Nov 8, 09:26 PM    #

2. Hear, hear, Mel. But, just in the interest of nitpicking accuracy, the fact that a name may be spelled a number of different ways does not mean that a particular individual’s name may be. It’s Adolf Hitler, not Adolph.

   That’s hardly as significant as the United Kingdom/University of Kentucky inaccuracy, of course. You’re right about picking up on the give-away style of these messages, as well as the resentment people feel when the truth is pointed out, depriving them of an illusion, or a delusion, that they find interesting or comforting or whatever. My, how our species does love simple answers!

   Come to think of it, Messers Dawkins, Hitchens, and Dennett might have something to say about this phenomenon. People love the picturesque and the easily grasped, and no one likes having a security blanket removed, no matter how ragged, tattered, dirty, and germ-ridden it may be. It’s no compliment to Homo sapiens to say that we’ll pick cozy comfort over solid truth almost ten times out of ten.

   — Dan Kirklin    Nov 9, 08:32 AM    #

3. The November 12, 2007 issue of the Nation has a good, documented article on this phenomenon in the political arena.

   — Jeffry Larson    Nov 9, 10:47 AM    #

4. It may still be taught, but you’d be surprised by how many students only have a vague, if any, idea about it. I had a colleague—a young Hong Kong parachute-kid with a BA degree in Economics (with honors) from an Ivy League school—who, when I mentioned the Holocaust said, “What’s that?”

   — marci    Nov 9, 11:35 AM    #

5. Not only does UK teach about the Holocaust, but they have a Judaic studies program, an excellent relationship with the local Muslim population and and Holocaust Study Group.

   — A    Nov 9, 12:08 PM    #

6. Adolf was, among other things, the subject of Holocaust study; Adolph’s is a brand of meat tenderizer. UK seems to have had enough of each.

   — R.    Nov 9, 03:01 PM    #

7. Ah yes, it was Adolf Hitler, but it was Adolph Rupp. I suspect the two were one and the same. Just look at the photos. See how many foul shots ended with that extended, raised right arm?

   — gfh    Nov 9, 03:30 PM    #

8. I am from kentucky and I never saw Rupp and Hitler in the same photograph—what does that tell you?

   — --n    Nov 9, 05:00 PM    #

9. In the 1930’s the University of Kentucky helped rescue European Jews by offering them faculty positions. My uncle was one of them. Thank you UK!!

   — C    Nov 12, 10:46 AM    #

10. Even if the chain letter was true, there is no denying the Holocaust. I’m a survivor of the Holocaust and the author of the book, Footnote to History, which describes it. The book was published by The University Press of America, ISBN 0-7618-2465-0 and I recommend it to all who study, or deny the Holocaust.

    Andrew Laszlo

    — Andrew Laszlo    Nov 17, 03:41 PM    #

11. The Holocaust happened. Who is to tell me I can or can’t believe what happened back then. I am my own person and no religious person will tell me it is a myth.

    — Fay McKenna    Nov 24, 12:02 AM    #

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