Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies

The chair was endowed in honor of Leah and Paul Lewis by their daughter and son-in-law, Miriam Lewis Barnett and Mitchell Barnett, with the support of many family members, friends and admirers of their path-breaking work to raise awareness about the Holocaust. Over more than three decades, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis built more than 15 memorials dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust in synagogues, centers and museums throughout the United States. In recognition of their leadership, then-President Jimmy Carter appointed Paul Lewis to the United States Holocaust Memorial Commission in 1976. Leah Lewis died in 1981 and Paul Lewis in 1984. The chair was created in May 2003. The position supports the work of a scholar who is internationally recognized in Holocaust studies and the related aspects of Jewish history, literature and culture.