The Cohen Center

The Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies is much more than a resource center, though that is how it began in 1983.

Rooted in the College’s public liberal arts mission, the Cohen Center is a leading educational center devoted to the memory and study of the Holocaust and genocide.

Its library of books and other media has grown to nearly 6,000 volumes and supports the College’s academic program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies that includes both an interdisciplinary major and minor in this subject area.

The Cohen Center is located in the heart of Keene State College on the first floor of Mason Library. Visitors will often find the Center’s Susan J. Herman Reading Room in active use, either by a class in the academic program, a meeting or other gathering for the Center, or by students using the room for study and reflection. Staff offices and the Center’s collection are accessible from a rear hallway when the reading room is in use.

The Cohen Center is home to

• a collection of nearly 6,000 volumes – print and media – dedicated to the study of the Holocaust and genocide
• three full-time staff – the director, the coordinator of educational outreach, and the senior program support assistant
• the Susan J. Herman Reading Room, vigorously used by faculty in the HGS program for classes, for Cohen Center meetings and other gatherings, and by students for study and reflection

A recipient of the New England Higher Education Excellence Award in 2008 and recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, the Cohen Center maintains a strong, catalytic presence on campus and in the many communities it serves by providing a variety of programs and services:

• public lectures and other programs
• extensive educational outreach in the local community and beyond
• programmatic support for the first undergraduate major in Holocaust and Genocide Studies in the country
• leadership in the cultivation of an engaged citizenry working for mutual respect and justice

Mission Statement

The Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies advances the public liberal arts mission of Keene State College by studying and bearing witness to the Holocaust and genocide in the hope that present and future generations take responsibility for building a world free of antisemitism, intolerance, and hate.

To this end, the Cohen Center joins the campus community and its many partners in promoting an active and informed citizenry committed to mutual respect and justice.

Major and Minor Programs

Persons interested in the academic program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies should contact:

Dr. C. Paul Vincent
E-mail: pvincent@keene.edu
Phone: 603-358-2722
Office: Mason Library, room 134