WVIA TV to Present Special Programming in Commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Pittston, PA – In observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, January 27, WVIA TV will present a powerful evening of programming dedicated to remembrance, reflection, and understanding. The special presentation brings together local and national productions that examine the Holocaust’s enduring lessons, the consequences of hatred, and the responsibility to confront extremism in all its forms.
The evening begins with Holocaust Warnings: American Anti-Semitism and Extremism, a WVIA produced community conversation project that connects the history of the Holocaust to present-day challenges.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day Programming on WVIA TV:
7:00 p.m. - Holocaust Warnings: American Anti-Semitism and Extremism
The Holocaust began with words - hateful words aimed at Jews and others. This WVIA original explores how language can shape public life, influence behavior, and, when left unchallenged, lead to devastating consequences. Through conversations with scholars, survivors, and community voices, the program asks a vital question: Can the Holocaust provide a template for understanding and confronting extremism today?
8:00 p.m. - Finding Your Roots: The Road We Took
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces the family histories of actor Lizzie Caplan and comedian Hasan Minhaj, following ancestral journeys from Eastern Europe and Northern India and uncovering stories of migration, survival, and identity that reshaped their families’ futures.
9:00 p.m. - American Masters: Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire
This intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize–winning author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel uses his own words — drawn from archival recordings — alongside interviews, hand-painted animation, and reflections from his widow, Marian Wiesel. Directed by Oren Rudavsky, the film chronicles Wiesel’s lifelong fight against what he called the “sin of indifference.”
10:30 p.m. - Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On
Renowned historian Sir Simon Schama confronts the Holocaust as a Europe-wide crime, not solely a Nazi obsession. In one of the most personal films of his career, Schama visits mass killing sites, explores questions of complicity and survival, and reflects on the emotional weight of his first visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau — while highlighting acts of resistance and remembrance across generations.
WVIA’s Holocaust Warnings project was developed as part of the station’s broader We Stand Against Hate initiative, which uses media, education, and community dialogue to examine how intolerance takes root, and how communities can respond with understanding and action.
“Public media has a responsibility to do more than remember history, we must help our communities understand why it still matters,” said Ben Payavis II, WVIA’s Chief Content Officer. “This programming invites viewers to reflect on the past while recognizing the importance of speaking out against hate and indifference wherever it exists.”
Holocaust Warnings: American Anti-Semitism and Extremism has been distributed nationally through the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), allowing public television stations across the country to engage their audiences in critical conversations about antisemitism, extremism, and the power of words.
Dr. Carol Rittner, RSM, distinguished Professor Emerita of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Stockton University, the author or editor of 22 books and numerous essays about the Holocaust, and panelist on WVIA’s Holocaust Warnings: American Anti-Semitism and Extremism recently commented on the importance of commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“It is really important and significant that WVIA has devoted time to this programming about the Holocaust” said Dr. Carol Rittner, RSM. “Today, perhaps more than ever, such education is so important — because I hear echoes of what happened 80 years ago. I hear echoes in the kind of language that political leaders are using to refer to people who are different — immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, people of different cultures — and that scares me.”
She continues, “Yale historian Timothy Snyder famously states, ‘History does not repeat, but history does instruct.’ I believe that teaching and learning about the Holocaust can instruct us about what happened then and what can happen again today. I applaud WVIA for its courage in educating its audience about the Holocaust. For an American Christian who has studied, taught, and written for over 50 years, that responsibility has never seemed so urgent as it does at this time. Courageous, insightful, and a little scary — the educational potential of WVIA, across television, radio, and educational resources, is so important.”
Referring to the American Masters program Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, she adds, “Elie Wiesel, with whom I had the privilege of working for a number of years, would applaud WVIA if he were alive today,” Rittner said. “He was a teacher, and one thing he wanted to be remembered for was that. The educational value of what WVIA is doing is so important — if only we are open enough to learning.”
WVIA invites viewers throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania to watch this meaningful night of programming and take part in honoring the memory of Holocaust victims while reaffirming a shared commitment to human dignity and the responsibility to speak out against hate.
About WVIA
WVIA is the PBS and NPR affiliate serving over 22 counties in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. For nearly 60 years, WVIA has been committed to serving the people by offering informational, educational, and entertaining content that enriches and expands viewpoints and serves as a catalyst for positive change. WVIA television channels include WVIA TV, WVIA PBS Kids 24/7, and WVIA Create. WVIA’s radio channels include WVIA Radio, WVIA Arts, and the Chiaroscuro Channel. WVIA’s programs can also be found streaming live and on-demand on wvia.org and the WVIA app.
WVIA Mission
WVIA educates, inspires, entertains, and fosters citizenship, diverse cultures, and perspectives to nurture community.