Yom HaShoah Happenings

Here’s a sampling of Holocaust-themed programs coming up soon around town:

* “A Bright Room Called Day,” Tony Kushner’s play about a group of Berlin intellectuals struggling against fascism in the early days of Hitler, will include a post-performance salon after two upcoming matinees. Elane Geller, a child survivor of Bergen-Belsen, and German scholar Dr. Cornelius Schnauber will conduct a discussion with the audience April 30; Margit Kleinman of the Goethe-Institut in Los Angeles will speak May 14. The salons will take place after the 4 p.m. matinees at Theatre of NOTE, 1517 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 856-8611.

* “Lebensraum,” the West Coast premiere of Israel Horovitz’s new play, answers the question, “What would happen if the new German chancellor invited 6 million Jews from around the world to ‘come home’ to Germany?” The play opens May 5 at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Hollywood, For tickets, call (323) 663-1525.

* “Manifest,” Brian Silbertman’s theatrical vaudeville about resistance in the death camps, is a West Coast premiere and a production of The Theatre Academy of Los Angeles City College, with klezmer musical accompaniment and a Dadaist bent. May 5-13. For reservations and information, (323) 953-4528.

* The History Channel will air “Nazi America: A Secret History,” on its “Time Machine” series April 28, 9 p.m. Also on the History Channel: An episode of the talk show “History Center,” April 30, 10:30 a.m., will be devoted to the question, “Should Germany pass a resolution formally requesting the forgiveness of the Jewish people for the crimes of Hitler?” “History’s Mysteries,” May 1, 8 p.m., will feature an episode called “The Nazi Ghost Train,” about a train that vanished with 1,500 prisoners. The “History Alive” series, May 15-18, 9 p.m. and May 18, 10 p.m., will profile Hitler’s generals; and “Execution at Camp 21,” May 28, 10 p.m., will profile the struggle and murder of Wolfgang Rosterg, a German sergeant and Allied prisoner who held surprisingly anti-Nazi views.

* HBO will show the short documentary “Children of the Night,” a searing portrait of the more than 1 million children murdered by Hitler, produced by Arthur Cohn, winner of several Academy Awards, most recently for the documentary “One Day in September.” The film features rare, never-before-seen footage and airs May 25, 8 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., catch the Oscar-winning documentary “The Last Days,” executive produced by Steven Spielberg, which profiles five Hungarian survivors who return to the places where they suffered during the war.

* World-renowned Holocaust scholar Dr. Michael Berenbaum, best known for overseeing the creation of the U.S. Holocaust Memori-al Museum in Washington, D.C., will speak during four sessions at the University of Judaism: May 17 and 24, June 7 and 14, all at 8 p.m. The sessions will explore controversial topics such as the failure to bomb Auschwitz and whether the Holocaust is unique. The cost for the series is $64. For information, call (310) 476-9777, ext. 246.