Eichmann on Trial: The Banality of Evil and an Enduring Debate
Fall 2026

Eichmann on Trial: The Banality of Evil and an Enduring Debate

Program: Hebrew College Tamid
Instructor: Rabbi Dan Judson (read bio)
Dates: 5 Mondays: 10/5, 10/12*(this session zoom only), 10/19, 10/26 & 11/2
Time: 10-11:30 a.m. ET
Course fee: $250, financial aid is available
Location: Hybrid – (at Hebrew College, 1860 Washington St., Newton & online)
Hosted by: Hebrew College
Registration: Click here

The 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann became a defining event in the world’s understanding of Nazi crimes and their legacy. Broadcast internationally, the trial brought survivors’ testimony to a global audience and raised profound questions about justice, responsibility, memory, and the nature of evil. This five-session course examines the historical context of Eichmann’s capture and trial, the legal and moral issues at stake, and Hannah Arendt’s influential—and deeply controversial—account in Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. We will explore Arendt’s concept of the “banality of evil,” her portrayal of Eichmann, and her critique of Jewish leadership during the Holocaust, alongside the vigorous responses her work provoked from historians, philosophers, survivors, and fellow intellectuals. Through close reading of selected texts and discussion, participants will consider how the Eichmann trial transformed public memory of the Holocaust, and why Arendt’s interpretation continues to generate debate more than sixty years later.

For additional information or questions, contact the Hebrew College Tamid Team

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