September 28th–November 9th, 2025
@Central Library

Bullitt County Public Library is honored to be one of 50 libraries selected nationwide to host the second tour of Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition presented by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.

Originally launched at the Museum in Washington, D.C. in 2018, this powerful 1,100-square-foot exhibit draws on a wealth of primary sources from the 1930s and '40s to explore how Americans—government officials, journalists, aid organizations, and everyday citizens—responded to the rise of Nazism, war, and genocide in Europe.

Far from a simple history lesson, this immersive exhibition challenges widely held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing. Instead, it presents a nuanced portrait of American society during this era, shaped by the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism, and antisemitism.

Through personal stories and public opinion, Americans and the Holocaust invites visitors to grapple with difficult questions about awareness, action, and complicity—then and now. It asks not only, “What did Americans know?” but also, “What would I have done?” and “What will I do?”