Program Type:
Movie- Registration is required for this event.
- Registration will close on April 12, 2026 @ 1:00pm.
- A library card is required to register for this event.
Program Description
Event Details
We invite you to join us as we honor Yom HaShoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day) with a showing of the 2017 film The Zookeeper's Wife. This film depicts the true story of Jan Żabiński and Antonina Żabińska, who used the Warsaw Zoo to shelter and rescue around 300 Jews during the Holocaust. Their courage and moral conviction ultimately led to their recognition as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem in 1965.
Following the film, Jennifer Younghans, Holocaust and Genocide Studies teacher from Middletown High School and 2025 Echoes & Reflections Advanced Learning Seminar Fellow, will guide a discussion examining the historical accuracy of the movie, the ethical dilemmas faced by rescuers, and the broader context of life in Nazi-occupied Poland. Participants will explore themes of resistance, moral choice, and the risks taken by ordinary individuals who chose to act in extraordinary ways. The discussion will also connect the film’s portrayal to primary sources and survivor testimony, helping viewers critically analyze how film shapes our understanding of Holocaust history.