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In partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, SFA Hillel, a student group that builds connections with emerging adults and inspires them to direct their own Jewish journey, will host the university’s first official Holocaust Remembrance Day event, or Yom Hashoah in Hebrew, on April 8 as part of the OMA’s Diversity Week event slate.

Hungarian Holocaust survivor Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth will be the event’s keynote speaker. She will share her Holocaust experience and engage in a Q&A with attendees.

Dr. Michara DeLaney-Fields, SFA’s chief diversity officer, and Rabbi Kenny Weiss, executive director of Houston Hillel, also will be introductory speakers at the event.

“The purpose of Yom Hashoah is to keep the memory of the horrific events of the Holocaust alive, and this year participants will be able to do that by listening to Holocaust survivor Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth,” said Jade Gordon, co-president of SFA Hillel, formerly known as the Jewish Student Union.

“It is important to recognize this day because it is how the Jewish people keep the memory of the Holocaust alive by hearing the stories and passing them on, especially in a time like today that has become difficult for Jews all over again because of the rise in anti-Semitism.”

Ozsváth founded the Holocaust Studies Program at The University of Texas at Dallas and is professor emeritus of literature and history and the former Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies. She joined the UT Dallas faculty in 1983, initially teaching 19th- and 20th-century literature and history classes.

“We are fortunate to have Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth, affectionately known as Zsuzsi, share her personal memories of the Hungarian Holocaust with our students and community,” said Dr. Flóra Faragó, SFA Hillel advisor and associate professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences. “Zsuzsi’s story reflects what happened to my family and to hundreds of thousands of Jewish families in Hungary and larger Europe. Learning about the Holocaust will remind us how far we have come and yet how far we have to go to achieve justice, dignity and equality for all.”

While known for her Holocaust classes, Ozsváth has published a number of articles dealing with aesthetic and ethical issues in French, German and Hungarian literature as well as with the relationship between art and totalitarian ideology. As a scholar, critic, and translator, Ozsváth has extensively written about Holocaust literature and the Holocaust in Hungary. Her memoir, “When the Danube Ran Red,” tells the chilling and extraordinary story of her childhood in Hun­gary, living under the threat of the Holocaust.

“Event participants will be encouraged to reflect on how current and historical anti-Semitism shapes the lives of Jews and non-Jews alike and learn about incredible stories of survival, loss and resistance,” Gordon said. “The hope is that this event will inspire participants to take action against anti-Semitism and other -isms that continue to impact the lives of millions in the U.S. and around the world.”

SFA Hillel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day will be held in person and via Zoom beginning at 6 p.m. April 8. The in-person event will take place in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom on the SFA campus. Following the keynote speaker, in-person attendees will be able to participate in an activity to honor the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.

As a supplement to the event, Gordon also will host a Lumberjacks Live Q&A on SFA’s Instagram account, @sfasu, at 6 p.m. April 1. She will speak with Shirley Watterston, retired SFA lecturer of music and vocal coach accompanist, about her own history living as a Jewish individual in East Texas and personal remembrances of the Holocaust.

SFA’s Holocaust Remembrance Day was made possible through assistance from Hillel Houston and Hillel at Home.

There is no fee to attend either in person or online; however, registration will be required for Zoom attendees. To register for the Zoom event, visit form.jotform.com/210754475322150. The deadline to register is 6 p.m. April 7.

In-person attendees will be required to abide by SFA’s mask requirement and maintain a safe physical distance.

For more information about OMA’s slate of Diversity Week events, visit sfasu.edu/oma. For SFA Hillel information and updates, follow the organization on Instagram @sfa_jsu.

By Christine Broussard, marketing communications coordinator at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The 2021 SFA Opera Theater will open Thursday, March 25, for a three-night run in Cole Concert Hall on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. This year’s performance features portions of two operas: Act I of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Così fan tutte,” or “School for Lovers,” followed by Act II finale of “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss. Music students Anthony Perez, Houston junior, and Gracie Palmore, Royse City junior, rehearse a scene. Performances are at 7:30 p.m., and face coverings are required. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, visit finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407. Seating is limited. Free access to online, livestreamed performances will be available each night at music.sfasu.edu.

The Association of Teacher Educators Board of Directors has selected three faculty members in Stephen F. Austin State University’s James I. Perkins College of Education as editors of its journal, Action in Teacher Education.

Drs. Heather Olson Beal and Amanda Rudolph, professors of education studies, and Dr. Chrissy Cross, associate professor of education studies, are serving as part of a team for a three-year editing term beginning in July.

The team was selected for its strong application, according to Alisa Chapman, ATE executive director.

“The board has confidence your team will be able to move the journal forward and represent ATE extremely well,” Chapman said.

The journal receives more than 250 submissions per year with a 9% acceptance rate.

Rudolph said the team’s approach will focus on current issues for teacher education while making connections with young scholars and regional units of ATE.

“For me, this is really a high point of my career, and I am so excited,” Rudolph said. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity for me and the team, as well as SFA.”

Cross said the editing term will help highlight SFA’s work in education.

“For us as researchers, this editorship will help all of us not only showcase our expertise in qualitative and quantitative research and pedagogy but also elevate the scholarship reputation of SFA in the field of research and curriculum and instruction in teacher education,” she said.

Olson Beal agreed.

“We are excited to be able to play a part in guiding research in the field of teacher education for the next three years and raise the profile of SFA on the national level.”

Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of the Perkins College of Education, said Rudolph, Cross and Olson Beal are the right educators for this work.

“These three faculty members have a strong reputation for education research and have been very successful in publishing their individual and collaborative scholarly work,” Abbott said. “They also have a reputation for mentoring less experienced colleagues as those faculty members seek to establish their scholarly niche and pursue outlets for publications. I believe they will excel in coordinating this important national teacher education journal during the next three years.”

To learn more about Action in Teacher Education, visit tandfonline.com.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present the student-directed one-act play “Hand Gestures” in virtual only performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 26, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27.

Directed by Sara Clark, Plano senior theatre major, the play by Caitlin Turnage is about finding the courage to come to terms with the person you really are.

Lou came to Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal for a mission trip with her church. She found something, or someone, she never intended on finding, Samukelisiwe. Now Lou’s mission trip is coming to an end. However, Sam doesn’t want to let go of the relationship they formed together and the feelings they share while Lou is desperately trying to leave the town, her feelings, and Sam behind at risk of turning her whole life upside down. Lou must come to terms with her suppressed identity and feelings to be with Sam, or just leave it all behind. And Sam is doing everything she can to hold onto the girl she loves, despite Lou’s rejection of anything that wasn’t her plan.

The cast includes Fatimah Green, Houston junior, as Samukelisiwe, and Madeline Murphy, Jacksonville junior, as Lou.

Dorie Bloodworth, spring junior, is stage manager; David Cleghorn, Georgetown sophomore, is audio/video designer; and Josiah Richardson, Wylie sophomore, is audio/visual technician.

As director, Clark said, “I chose to direct this show because I believe it’s important to see representation in shows like this. While the world is changing for the better, many people are still raised to think small and be set on a certain path. However, it is important to open yourself to new experiences and let yourself be who you feel on the inside. I am so excited to share this story with everyone! It’s a great show, and I think it has an important message for us all.”

Faculty production advisor for “Hand Gestures” is Dr. Inga Meier.

Streaming access fee is $4. Visit the SFA Fine Arts Box Office online at boxoffice.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 to purchase access. Box office sales end at 3 p.m. on March 26. For more information about the play, call the School of Theatre at (936) 468-4003 or visit theatre.sfasu.edu.