This symposium will explore the life, ideas, and continued relevance of the Jewish intellectual and psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl. Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning,” borne out of his experience of the Holocaust, has had a profound influence on a wide variety of disciplines and on generations of readers.
Fairfield University’s John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences will host a month-long, interdisciplinary symposium in March, exploring the life, work, and enduring influence of Holocaust survivor, psychiatrist, and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl.
Registration is requested for each event.
The symposium is presented by the Humanities Institute, the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies’ Kanarek Center for Palliative Care, and the John Charles Meditz College of Arts & Sciences. The organizers gratefully acknowledge the generous support of Joe and Robin Bennett Kanarek ’96, RN, BSN.
Frankl’s seminal book, Man’s Search for Meaning, shaped modern psychology, medicine, theology, ethics, and leadership studies. In the spirit of the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis (care for the whole person), the Fairfield community is invited to reflect upon their search for meaning in a today’s rapidly changing technological, societal and political landscape.
Through lectures, performance, and interfaith dialogue, scholars, medical professionals, religious leaders, artists, and students will engage in conversations that connect Frankl’s work to contemporary challenges.
Viktor Frankl Symposium Event Schedule
Session 1
Monday, March 2 | 6 p.m.
- Speaker: Alexander Batthyány, director of Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna
- Lecture Title: “Why Frankl Matters Today: Rediscovering Meaning in an Age of Disorientation"
- Location: Dolan School of Business Event Hall, Fairfield University
- Reception: 5:30 p.m.
Session 2
Monday, March 2 | 7:30 p.m.
- Speaker: Writer and Actor Christopher Domig, artistic director of New York City’s award-winning Sea Dog Theater
- Event: “Man’s Search for Meaning” — An Immersive Theatrical Experience
- Location: Media Center Studio A, Fairfield University
Session 3
Thursday, March 19 | 5 p.m.
Round table discussion featuring:
- William Breitbart, M.D.
The Jimmie C. Holland Chair in Psychiatric Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - Rabbi Darren Levine
Founding Rabbi of Tamid, and founder of Positive Judaism: A New Vision for Jewish Life in the 21st Century - Christopher J. Domig
Writer and Actor Christopher Domig, artistic director of New York City’s award-winning Sea Dog Theater; host of the Viktor Frankl Project podcast - Eileen O’Shea, DNP, APRN-BC, CHPPN
Director, Kanarek Center for Palliative Care Nursing Education - Event Title: “The Many Legacies of Viktor Frankl”
- Location: Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, Rm. 103-104
Closing Keynote Address
Sunday, March 29 | 3 p.m.
Philip I. Eliasoph Open VISIONS Forum | 2026 Bennett Center for Judaic Studies Lecture
- Speaker: New York Times Columnist and Author David Brooks
- Lecture Title: “How To Know a Person”
- Location: Quick Center for the Arts
