This Orwellian logic makes sense to Peggy Tishman, one of many New York Jewish leaders willing to sacrifice truth for the greater good. As she told The New Republic: "There are a lot of truths that are very necessary. This is not a truth that's necessary."

And Ogletree, who will moderate this evening's panel discussion, has no problem valuing political concerns over history. As he told The Crimson "The film is not the most important thing I think what's most important to students to have a sense that there is a community with a high level of tolerance working to understand our unique characteristics.

To be sure, "The liberators" tells a nice story. So nice that the film was the center piece of a mind December event at New York's Apollo Theater, aimed at improving Black Jewish relations in the city and attended by many of New York's prominent Jews and Blacks (including Jackson). So nice that a number of philanthropists are jockeying for the honor of buying tapes of "The Liberators" for New York public schools.

So nice that many people, including the film's Harvard sponsors, have bought into its pernicious philosophy that repairing relations between Blacks and Jews overrides all other concerns, including concerns for historical accuracy.

But is it really possible to build a better future between Blacks and Jews based on a fabricated past? Do we really want to nurture an honest relationship with a pack of lies?

I don't think so. And those students who (like me) will attend tonight's event -all, no doubt, with good intentions should keep that giant caveat in mind.

The film didn't have to be this way. All Black Army units did help liberate some concentration camps, according to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Indeed, the 761st helped liberate the smaller camp of Gunskirchen, while the all-Black 703rd Tank Battalion helped liberate a subcamp of Buchenwald.

And despite discrimination in the U.S. Army, Black soldiers performed heroically when faced with the more challenging task of fighting the Germans. The 761st has an outstanding battle record--particularly during the Battle of the Bulge--for which it received a Presidential Unit Citation. The citation, by the way, did not mention any role played in liberating Dachau or Buchenwald.

For Blacks' significant role in helping win World War II, and Jews' significant role in the Civil Rights movements, both sides should be proud. For bringing "The Liberators" to Sanders Theater, however, Harvard should be ashamed.

History should serve as the basis of a Black Jewish dialogue--not an emperor with no clothes.