Local educators learned how to teach middle and high school students about the Holocaust through a seminar that took place from June 23 to 25 in Washington, D.C.
Taught by staff of the global organization Facing History & Ourselves, the multisession seminar explored the connections between modern-day “bigotry and hatred” and the legacy of injustices of the past such as the Holocaust, Facing History’s chief officer of growth and engagement Dimitry Anselme wrote in an email to Washington Jewish Week.
“In ‘Holocaust and Human Behavior,’ students explore themes that raise profound and difficult questions about human behavior,” Anselme wrote. “This approach helps students make connections between history and the consequences of our actions and beliefs today — between history and how we as individuals make distinctions between right and wrong, good and evil.
As students examine the steps that led to the Holocaust, they discover that history is not inevitable; it is, rather, the result of both individual and collective decision making. Our goal is to help teachers and students face our collective histories and understand how they inform attitudes and behaviors in today’s world.”
Staff of Facing History have observed that over the past two years, educators are asking for more support to help them teach about the Holocaust in a “polarized political environment” and how to better understand and identify contemporary forms of antisemitism, according to Anselme.
“Many [educators] are teaching in environments that are diverse and draw students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds and so need professional development and classroom resources to help them address antisemitism as another form of prejudice and hate,” Anselme wrote.
The staff of Facing History has spent more than three decades working with educators to help them and their students understand the material they hear, read and watch, according to the website. The organization offers strategies and tools to help students civilly engage in difficult conversations in the classroom.
The seminar took place at the University of the District of Columbia and was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. About 30% of the 22 participating educators were residents of the D.C. area, Anselme wrote, adding that he had hoped for more local interest.
“Our take away lesson is the need to increase our outreach and personal connections to educators and school systems in the [D.C.] area,” he wrote.
He added that this seminar was Facing History’s first in-person event in the D.C. area since the pandemic, which could account for the smaller numbers.
Holocaust education is now more important than ever, according to Facing History staff.
“We believe the strongest way to stem the tide of bigotry is through education,” Anselme wrote.
A few years ago, Facing History published a mini lesson called ‘Rising Antisemitism and Fading Memories of the Holocaust,’ which aims to help students examine recent trends regarding “receding Holocaust memory and the resurgence of antisemitism.” The lesson encourages students to think critically about how history can help confront hatred, according to Anselme.
But teaching about a topic so complex isn’t easy.
“The field of Holocaust education is dynamic. It’s a constantly evolving field,” Anselme wrote. “We want educators to feel equipped to address this difficult topic in classrooms rather than feel overwhelmed or afraid to combat misinformation.”
The seminar’s curriculum didn’t stop at the Holocaust.
“We offered a lesson on the complexity and diversity of Jewish identity in this seminar,” Anselme wrote. “Our hope is that teachers feel more comfortable not only teaching the Holocaust but also conveying the diversity of Jewish communities.”
This is interesting. We should welcome solid classroom time for education on this topic. Especially for students and their families new to the US and new to being in community with the Jewish population.
As a former classroom substitute teacher with MCPS, many students had no idea why school was closed for the High Holidays.