Facing History Represented at Yad Vashem's Conference on Holocaust Education

From July 7-10, 2008, the Yad Vashem International School for Holocaust Studies held its 6th International Conference on Holocaust Education with the focus on Teaching the Shoah, Fighting Racism and Prejudice. Over 700 participants from 52 nations attended. Throughout the conference, there was an effort to show how themes of the Holocaust meet needs of multicultural education in diverse settings. Scholars and teachers worked together in panels and workshops to explore the ways in which Holocaust education can be adapted to diverse audiences in schools and communities and how it remains the central paradigm for studying genocide in the modern age.

The participants had many opportunities to engage with Facing History's resources and approach. Dr. Mary Johnson, Senior Historian of Facing History and Ourselves was one of the facilitators for the break-out sessions, which followed the daily morning panel discussions. Dr. Johnson also played a central role in one of the morning panels on July 8th- "Teaching the Holocaust in a Multicultural Society-Combating the Phenomenon of Racism and Prejudice in the Classroom." Other panelists included Shulamit Imber, Yad Vashem; William Meinecke, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Stephen Smith, Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre in Nottingham, MA; Federal Judge of Argentina Daniel Rafecas; Professor Bodo von Borries, Professor of Education at the University of Hamburg. The moderator was Yossi Gevir of Yad Vashem. There was quite an electricity in the room since each panelist was quite passionate in discussing why they think Holocaust education is important and how it should be carried out.

Facing History also had an opportunity to introduce its new educational resources for the film Blessed is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh. Dr. Johnson co-facilitated a break-out session with Roberta Grossman, Executive Producer of Blessed is the Match and Katahdin Productions.  Katahdin has partnered with Facing History and Ourselves to fulfill the educational initiative part of their outreach campaign for the film.  Facing History has helped to create a classroom DVD version of Blessed is the Match and has created supplemental materials to accompany the DVD for dissemination in seminars and workshops around the country. 

In addition, a Facing History teacher from Boynton Beach Florida, Abbe Snyder did an exciting presentation on how she uses Facing History with her students.

"What stands out from the conference is how pertinent and vibrant Holocaust education remains more than six decades after the event," said Dr. Johnson.