Preparing Your Classroom for Conversations about Antisemitism

Research released by the Claims Conference found that 49% of U.S. millennials and generation Z have seen Holocaust denial or distortion content online—and that one in five U.S. millennials and generation Z surveyed in New York believe that Jews caused the Holocaust. This toxic combination of ignorance allied with antisemitic hatred continue to permeate global consciousness, and teachers have an important part to play in turning the tide. 

How and why does antisemitism persist in communities today? What can we do as educators to confront hatred in our schools and communities? During this interactive webinar, we’ll explore Facing History’s new lessons that consider the role antisemitism played at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville as a case study in contemporary antisemitism. The lessons provide strategies and resources for discussing controversial issues with students that are especially urgent at this historical moment.

Learn about the increasing number of hate crimes fueled by antisemitism in recent years in Canada, as well as examples of individuals, groups, and civic leaders standing up and speaking out against hate. Jeff McGuire, Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police will speak about the rising rates of Antisemitic hate crimes in Ontario and the ways that police units across Ontario are responding.  We will also explore the role of upstanders, and provide models for addressing hatred and intolerance for all of us to follow.

Join Brandeis University’s Professor of American Jewish History, Dr. Jonathan D. Sarna, in conversation with Facing History & Ourselves about the history, themes, and relevance of antisemitic in-group signaling continuing to show up in contemporary American society.

Explore Canada’s restrictive immigration policies that led to the refusal to accept Jewish refugees from Europe during the years 1933–1948. Joined by Dr. Harold Troper, Jewish Canadian historian and author of None is Too Many: Canada And The Jews Of Europe 1933-1948, we will study how antisemitism contributed to these policies and helped define Canada’s universe of obligation. We will specifically examine how Canada turned away the MS St Louis, a ship carrying 937 Jewish refugees attempting to escape Nazi Germany. 

Listen to Mr. Arthur Ullian discuss his childhood experiences as the only Jewish student in elite prep schools he attended, exploring how the challenges he faced can help inform and support educators who want to affirm the dignity of every student in their schools.

Watch this conversation with journalist and author Eli Saslow to learn how white-supremacist ideas migrated from the far-right fringe to the streets of Charlottesville and beyond.

Young people are exposed to antisemitism in rapidly changing ways, both on school campuses and on unmonitored digital spaces like social media platforms and gaming sites. Join our panel conversation with classroom teachers as we unpack the challenges and opportunities of addressing antisemitism in classrooms.

Antisemitism is an ever-present ideology that retains its power in the modern era. It persists across the political spectrum, across national borders and across age, education levels and other demographic markers - and in our schools. What do we need to unlearn in order to help our students recognize and confront contemporary antisemitism effectively?

Learn how concepts of race continue to feed antisemitic ideologies, how antisemitism continues to impact ideas of race, and how we can work to uproot white supremacy and racisms from our schools and society.

Conspiracy theories provide simple and misleading explanations for complex human dilemmas. We must learn to recognize the antisemitism that fuels some of today’s most destructive conspiracy theories so we can help our students stand up against these pervasive and dangerous messages.

This webinar examined the ways that young people encounter antisemitism online and the impact of this consumption.