History and Political Science
Ralph Nurnberger, Ph.D., is a widely acclaimed speaker who brings humor, current political insights, and historical background to his presentations. In addition to giving talks nationally and at The Smithsonian Institute, Professor Nurnberger has appeared as an analyst on television and radio programs. He has also spoken internationally and on a number of cruises. He has given presentations on a wide range of historical and political topics at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FAU. Professor Nurnberger taught at Georgetown University for 38 years and was named Professor of the Year by the Graduate School of Liberal Studies in 2003.
Media Story
Some movie extras added something extra to films shot in Washington - by John Kelly, columnist (September 2, 2020)
Being an extra in a movie seems like the easiest job in the world: Just stand around and try not to look at the camera. But some extras need to have a little .?.?. extra.
In 1972, Ralph Nurnberger was a graduate student at Georgetown University competing in the finals of an intramural tennis championship. The casting director for “The Exorcist” happened to be walking by one day, scouting for people who looked as if they belonged on the campus.
Ralph was hired on the spot as a “skilled extra.” His task was to play tennis on the courts next to Lauinger Library while Lee Jay Cobb and Jason Miller walked by discussing the strange goings on in the Georgetown community, including the death of a priest. (The courts have since been replaced by dorms.)
“One of the players on the next court was Linda Tuero, who was an internationally ranked player,” wrote Ralph, of Arlington, Va. “Later, she married William Peter Blatty, who had written the novel that was the basis for the film.”
Ralph later taught at the university. “For many years, I invited my Georgetown students to have dinner at our home — so that we could have an off-campus discussion,” he wrote. “I usually also showed them my ‘30 seconds of fame.’?”
News Articles
The Roosevelt Administration and the Holocaust
One of the most politically-charged questions in
American history deals with how the administration of
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reacted to the
Nazis. In this newly revised and updated presentation,
Professor Nurnberger will review many of the specific
examples of actions taken — and not taken — by the
Roosevelt Administration, as well as the rationale
behind these decisions.
In Roosevelt’s first two terms, the key issues revolved
around immigration. The American response to those
who sought to flee from Nazi oppression was shaped
by domestic political factors, including the Depression,
nativism and anti-Semitism. In addition to quotas and
other impediments that made it difficult for Jewish
refugees to come to the United States, this presentation
will analyze a number of specific incidents, including
why Cuba and then the United States turned away
over 900 German Jewish refugees on the ocean liner
S.S. St. Louis.
After the start of World War II, the German army
moved throughout Europe. The lives of ever-increasing
numbers of Jews were threatened and extinguished.
This presentation will review how the United States
responded, especially after the administration learned
about the Holocaust.
Register Early! There is a $5 charge for registering on the day of a one-time lecture or event.
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| Course # F1TC — One Time Event
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Tuesday, December 10 2019 |
| Time: | 9:30 - 11 AM |
| Fee: | $30 / member; $35 / non-member |
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Register Now
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Persistence of Evil
The wonderful musical “Fiddler on the Roof” is based
upon stories written by “Sholem Aleichem,” who has
been called the “Yiddish Mark Twain.” He wrote about
life in the region of Eastern Europe known as the “Pale
of Settlement.” It had the largest component (over 40
percent) of the world Jewish population in the late
19th and early 20th centuries (over 5 million people).
Just as Tevye the Dairyman and his family in the
musical, most Jews lived in shtetls (Yiddish for “little
towns”), since they were forbidden to live “beyond the
Pale.” The assassination of Czar Alexzander II in 1881
was followed by a series of attacks against Jews, called
pogroms, which were supported by the Russian secret
police. Then, around 1903, a document was published
in Russia called “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,”
which may be the most significant anti-Semitic
document ever. The author’s identity remains a
mystery, which historian Ralph Nurnberger will seek
to unravel. Once it was published, the Russian secret
police used it; Hitler mentions it in “Mein Kampf”;
Henry Ford distributed it; conspiracy theorists cite it to
explain the 9/11 attacks; organizers of the August 2017
white nationalist rally in Charlottesville claim it
motivated them; it is quoted in the Hamas Charter;
and it was the basis for television series produced in
Arab countries. The document remains as malicious
today as it was when it was originally published.
Register Early! There is a $5 charge for registering on the day of a one-time lecture or event.
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| Course # F1T7 — One Time Event
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Tuesday, November 12 2019 |
| Time: | 9:30 - 11 AM |
| Fee: | $30 / member; $35 / non-member |
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Register Now
