American Universities and the Refugee Scholars of the Nazi Era

Schedule

Wed Nov 12 2025 at 12:00 pm to 01:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Kupferberg Holocaust Center @ Queensborough Community College | Queens, NY

Advertisement
Come learn the stories of a few European scholars who sought immigration and how US academic institutions undertook these fraught choices.
About this Event

Despite the triumphalist tale that during the Nazi era the United States rescued Europe's intellectual elite, including Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi, Hannah Arendt and Herbert Marcuse, thousands of European scholars sought to immigrate to the United States and couldn't. American universities refused to hire them and the State Department erected barriers to letting them in, meaning many lost not only their livelihoods, but also their lives. Dr. Laurel Leff, author of Well Worth Saving: American Universities' Life and Death Decisions on Refugees from Nazi Europe (Yale University Press, 2019), will introduce a few of those scholars and explain how academic institutions in the United States undertook these fraught choices.


**To attend in person: The event is free and open to all, but registration ahead of time is required and visitors must show ID upon entering the campus at Queensborough Community College (QCC). For directions to QCC’s campus, please visit https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/about/index.html#gettingHere. For elevator access, enter the QCC Administration building and follow signs for the Kupferberg Holocaust Center.

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Kupferberg Holocaust Center @ Queensborough Community College, 222-05 56th Avenue, Queens, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00

The Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center

Host or Publisher The Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Queens

Verse & Vision: Dada Residency
Tue, 11 Nov at 08:00 pm Verse & Vision: Dada Residency

Dada

ART LITERARY-ART
From Anxiety to Stillness 11\/12\/2025
Wed, 12 Nov at 06:30 pm From Anxiety to Stillness 11/12/2025

39-45 Crescent St

HEALTH-WELLNESS MEDITATION
Bonsai Workshop at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden
Wed, 12 Nov at 06:30 pm Bonsai Workshop at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

WORKSHOPS ART
Nude Figure Drawing at The Church by Tiny Arts Supply
Wed, 12 Nov at 07:00 pm Nude Figure Drawing at The Church by Tiny Arts Supply

Ridgewood Presbyterian Church, 70th Avenue, Queens, NY, USA

ART FINE-ARTS
To Be or Not: 3 Films that play with perception.
Wed, 12 Nov at 07:00 pm To Be or Not: 3 Films that play with perception.

Kaufman Zukor Theater

ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVALS
Stefan Plays Kreutzer (Flushing)
Thu, 13 Nov at 07:30 pm Stefan Plays Kreutzer (Flushing)

Flushing Town Hall

ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC
Cumulo: a nonverbal puppet piece by Emily Batsford
Thu, 13 Nov at 07:30 pm Cumulo: a nonverbal puppet piece by Emily Batsford

Culture Lab LIC at The Plaxall Gallery

ART THEATRE
Introduction to Real Estate Investing !!! (Online Only)
Sun, 13 Mar at 11:00 am Introduction to Real Estate Investing !!! (Online Only)

Queens College, City University of New York

BUSINESS SPORTS
Master Public Speaking? FREE Virtual Class to Banish Anxiety and Fears.
Sat, 28 Oct at 07:00 pm Master Public Speaking? FREE Virtual Class to Banish Anxiety and Fears.

Queens

WORKSHOPS PUBLIC-SPEAKING
Master Public Speaking in Just 12 Weeks!
Mon, 12 Feb at 06:00 pm Master Public Speaking in Just 12 Weeks!

Queens

WORKSHOPS PUBLIC-SPEAKING
Vegan Soap Making Class for Beginners (Self-Sustainability)
Tue, 17 Dec at 06:00 pm Vegan Soap Making Class for Beginners (Self-Sustainability)

17-17 Troutman St

WORKSHOPS ART
New York State Jobs and Careers in Public Service
Tue, 28 Jan at 10:00 am New York State Jobs and Careers in Public Service

Elmhurst Workforce1 Career Center - Department of Labor

WORKSHOPS
Beginner Salsa Classes 101 - LICSB
Tue, 04 Feb at 07:00 pm Beginner Salsa Classes 101 - LICSB

Long Island City School of Ballet

ENTERTAINMENT DANCE
College Entrance Prep Course 2025-2026 by  Sensei Ryan
Sun, 02 Mar at 01:30 pm College Entrance Prep Course 2025-2026 by Sensei Ryan

Kumon Math and Reading Center of Long Island City

WORKSHOPS
Music Explorers: Music Appreciation Class for All Ages!
Sun, 30 Mar at 10:30 am Music Explorers: Music Appreciation Class for All Ages!

Dada

WORKSHOPS MUSIC
Tot Time!
Thu, 03 Apr at 10:00 am Tot Time!

Gantry Plaza State Park

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
SGS Planner Conference 2026
Mon, 01 Sep at 05:00 pm SGS Planner Conference 2026

Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel

BUSINESS CONFERENCES
How to Journal Consistently: Queens
Sat, 13 Sep at 12:00 pm How to Journal Consistently: Queens

Queens

WORKSHOPS
How to Journal Consistently: Astoria
Sat, 13 Sep at 12:00 pm How to Journal Consistently: Astoria

Astoria

WORKSHOPS
Cartooning & Comic Book Creation With Alex Shapiro (Ages 8-12)
Sat, 20 Sep at 11:00 am Cartooning & Comic Book Creation With Alex Shapiro (Ages 8-12)

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL)

ART FINE-ARTS

What's Happening Next in Queens?

Discover Queens Events