Below is a directory of the “Witnessing Auschwitz” students of 2024, who all come from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the program and its commitment to a safe and inclusive environment for learning, students of history, religious studies, international relations, kinesiology, and many more were drawn to the seminar. Not only are the research projects created by Witnessing Auschwitz students truly one of a kind, but the program itself has evolved into a vibrant community of Holocaust studies students who are dedicated to bearing witness to the atrocity, contributing to the scholarship, and bringing in new perspectives. For inquiries regarding the program and Witnessing Auschwitz students, please view our Contact Page.
Program Director
Bożena Karwowska
Professor
Education
MA (Warsaw 1977), MA, Ph.D. (Brit.Col. 1989, 1995)
Research Area
Cultural Studies | Gender, Queer, and Intersectionality Studies | Holocaust Studies | Literature Studies | Theatre, Film and Performance Studies
Conference Organizer
Yumai Bishop (she/her)
Student
Education
B.A. Honours in Political Science, University of British Columbia, 2023
Research Area
East Asian International Relations | Security Studies | Metaphysics | Political Philosophy | Tech Industry Socioeconomic Analysis
Research Project
Yumai has a wide range of interests, such as learning Swedish in the CENES department and also trying to pick up Polish, Biblical Hebrew, and possibly Yiddish. She reads books and academic journals in her spare time. She is a tea-and-coffee drinker with a penchant for collecting classical music records. After attending last year’s Witnessing Auschwitz conference, she was greatly inspired to learn more about the history of the Holocaust and feels honoured to be a part of the seminar this year. Her project is on the transportation methods to Auschwitz and the train space in the Holocaust narrative as a missing link. She hopes to continue thinking and studying about how to keep the memory of this history alive and influence those around her.
Researchers
Rachel Zylberman Gore (she/her)
Student
Education
B.A. in History, University of British Columbia
Research Area
Jewish History | Judaism | Hebrew Bible | Holocaust Studies
Rachel is currently pursuing a B.A. in History at the University of British Columbia. Her area of focus is European Jewish history, though she also dedicates time to learning Biblical Hebrew and engaging in Hebrew Bible studies. In her spare time, she enjoys playing her baritone ukulele, going on nature walks, and spending time with the people she loves. Currently, Rachel is attending UBC as well as teaching first grade Hebrew School at her synagogue. Rachel hopes to one day earn a Ph.D and become a university professor of Jewish History.
Karen Howatson (she/her)
Retired from Financial Services
Education
B.A. in History, University of British Columbia
Research Area
History | 20th Century History
Karen Howatson is a fourth-year student at UBC majoring in History. She has always been interested in history, culture and social justice. which in many ways are Holocaust triangulates. In addition to taking several courses which discussed the Holocaust, Karen participated in the 2023 “Witnessing Auschwitz” in Poland and again participated in the 2024 “Witnessing Auschwitz and Experiencing Eastern Europe” seminar to further her studies. Currently, Karen is continuing her studies of twentieth century history, focusing both on Europe and Canada..
Joyce Park (she/her)
Student
Education
B.F.A. in Creative Writing, University of British Columbia
Research Area
Creative Writing | Screenwriting | Prose
Joyce Park is a 3rd year Creative Writing and B+MM student at UBC. As a believer in the power of stories, she is grateful for the opportunity to attend the Witnessing Auschwitz seminar to learn about the stories of Holocaust survivors. Though new to Holocaust studies, it has been a life-changing experience for her and she will remember the takeaways from the seminar in her creative pursuits.
Savindya Mudadeniya (she/her)
Student
Education
B.A. in History and Economics, University of British Columbia
Research Area
World History | Economic History
Savindya is currently pursuing a BA in History and Economics at the University of British Columbia, entering her fourth and final year of studies. With a particular interest in economic history, she balances her academic work with a strong dedication to learning French and contributing to French language learning projects funded by UBC. Her ongoing projects focus on making French language education more EDI-friendly, and she is further involved in course development for CENS 304, with plans to contribute to a new module for SLAV 105.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Savindya is an active leader on campus, serving as the president of the History Students’ Association and the founding president of the Sri Lankan Students’ Association. Outside the classroom, she enjoys staying active by going to the gym, engaging in creative art projects, and running. Looking ahead, Savindya aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in economic history with a focus in South Asian studies, driven by a passion for research and education in these fields.
Erika Laurence (she/her)
Student
Education
B.A. in Kinesiology, Minor in Asian Studies, University of British Columbia
Research Area
Social & Behavioural Sciences| Gender & Movement
Erika is a Kinesiology student at UBC.
Instructors
Bożena Karwowska
Professor
Education
MA (Warsaw 1977), MA, Ph.D. (Brit.Col. 1989, 1995)
Research Area
Cultural Studies | Gender, Queer, and Intersectionality Studies | Holocaust Studies | Literature Studies | Theatre, Film and Performance Studies
Dariya McEwen
Lecturer of Russian
Education
M.A. in Russian Language and Literature (LSU, Ukraine) and Liberal Studies (SFU, Canada)
Research Area
Cultural Studies | Literature Studies
From the CENES website:
Dariya (Dasha) McEwen has been with CENES since 2005, and teaches Russian language, culture and literature courses. Dasha has Masters degrees in Russian Language and Literature (LSU, Ukraine) and Liberal Studies (SFU, Canada). Her current PhD project’s interests include the symbolic role of a strong historical personality in Russian literature and culture; the official representations versus marginalized narratives as they can be traced via fictional literature, official historiography, family memoirs and documented personal stories.