Holocaust Education Professional Development Program for Grades 4-6 Teachers and Elementary Librarians November 8, 2016 ‘Agenda Welcome/introductions/Act 70 Overview... Dr. Jim Melchor Overview of District’s Elementary Holocaust Curriculum........Mis. Deanne Comer Respecting Differences: Ground Rules. Ms. Deanne Comer Historical Perspective........ .-..Mr. Geoff Quinn Why Teach the Holocaust? Key Holocaust Vocabulary Factors that Contributed to the Climate that Permitted the Holocaust Teaching about the Holocaust.................... Ms. Deanne Comer Teaching Activity Methodological Considerations Break Lost Childhoods of the Holocaust Introduction: Ms. Deanne Comer Kindertransport Overview........:.:0:0.0. Mr. Geoff Quinn Using Survivor Testimony in the Classroom/Guidelines.. Mr. Geoff Quinn ‘Survivor Testimony/Questions and Answers. ...Ms. Anneliese Nossbaum Wrap-up/Evaluations. Dr. Jim MelchorCOMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOLO! T Source: Simon Wiesenthal Center ~ Museum of Tolerance: hittp://motle.wiesenthal. com/site/pp.asp?e=gvK VLCMV1uG&b=394663 1. Which Jewish communities suffered losses during the Holocaust? Answer: Every Jewish community in occupied Europe suffered losses during the Holocaust. 2, How many Jews were murdered in each country and what percentage of the pre- war Jewish population did they constitute? Answer: (Source: Encyclopedia of the Holocaust) Austria 50,000 — 27.0% Italy 7,680 ~ 17.3% Belgium 28,900 — 44.0% Latvia 71,500 ~ 78.1% Bohemia/Moravia 78,150 ~ 66.1% Lithuania 143,000 ~ 85.1% Bulgaria 0 -- 0.0% Luxembourg 1,950 ~ 55.7% Denmark 60 -- 0.7% Netherlands 100,000 - 71.4% Estonia 2,000 ~ 44.4% Norway 762 ~ 44.8% Finland 7 — 0.3% Poland 3,000,000 ~- 90.9% France 77,320 ~ 22.1% Romania 287,000 -- 47.1% Germany 141,500 — 25.0% Slovakia 71,000 79.8% Greece 67,000 -- 86.6% Soviet Union 1,100,000 - 36.4% Hungary 569,000 — 69.0% ‘Yugoslavia 63,300 — 81.2% 3. What does the term "Final Solution" mean and what is its origin? Answer: The term "Final Solution” (Endl"sung) refers to Germany's plan to murder all the Jews of Europe. The term was used at the Wannsee Conference (Berlin; January 20,1942) where German officials discussed its implementation. 4, When did the "Final Solution” actually begin? Answer: Thousands of Jews were murdered by the Nazis or died as a direct result of persecution of Jews during the initial years of the Third Reich. The systematic murder of Jews did not begin until the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.11 Did the people of occupied Europe know about Nazi plans for the Jews? What was their attitude? Did they cooperate with the Nazis against the Jews? Answer: .In every occupied country with the exception of Denmark and Bulgaria, the Nazis found many locals who were willing to cooperate fully. 12. Did the Allies and the people in the Free World know about the events going on in Europe? Answer: The various steps taken by the Nazis prior to the "Final Sotution” were all taken publicly and were, therefore, reported in the press 13. What was the response of the Allies to the persecution of the Jews? Could they have done anything to help? Answer: The response of the Allies to the persecution and destruction of European Jewry ‘was inadequate. No attempt was made to call upon local populations. 14. Who are the "Righteous Among the Nations"? Answer: "Righteous Among the Nations," or "Righteous Gentiles," refers to those non- Jews who aided Jews during the Holocaust. There were "Righteous among the Nations” in every country overrun or allied with the Nazis, and their actions often saved Jewish lives. They numbered around 10,000, although there were probably more. 15, Were Jews in the Free World aware of the persecution and destruction of European Jewry and, if so, what was their response? Answer:. The response of the Jews in the "Free World” can also be divided into two periods, before and after the publication of information on the "Final Solution." Efforts uring the early years of the Nazi regime concentrated on facilitating emigration from Germany. Following the news of the "Final Solution,” attempts were made to launch rescue attempts via neutral states and to send aid to Jews under Nazi rule. These efforts were hampered by lack of assistance and obstruction from government channels. 16. Did the Jews in Europe realize what was going to happen to them? Answer: Every attempt was made to fool the victims and, thereby, prevent or minimize resistance. Deportes were always told that they were going to be “resettled,” and that their conditions would improve. Since the Jews in Europe was almost completely isolated, they had no way to find out what was going to happen to them. 17.How many Jews were able to escape from Europe prior to the Holocaust? Answer: Thousands were able to get passports to leave, but many were rejected from other countries due to immigration policies. Many left using passports with false identities, so it is impossible to determine how many left.24, How did Germany's allies, the Japanese and the Italians, treat the Jews in the lands they occupied? Answer: Neither the Italians nor the Japanese, both of whom were Germany's allies during World War Il, cooperated with the "Final Solution.” The Italians did not allow Jews to be deported. The Japanese were also relatively tolerant, and Jews in Japanese- occupied China were treated well. 25, What was the attitude of the churches concerning the persecution of the Jews? Did the Pope ever speak out against the Nazis? Answer: The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Pius XI, was aware of details as early as 1942. The Vatican expressed sympathy, but did little to help. The response from the Catholic clergy in Western Europe, Protestants and Eastern Orthodox varied. 26, How many Nazi criminals were there? How many were brought to justice? Answer: We do not know the exact number of Nazi criminals. Since 1945, thousands were put on trial, and the effort to locate Nazi criminals continues today. 27, What were the Nuremberg trials? Answer: The term "Nuremberg Trials" refers to two sets of trials of Nazi war criminals conducted after the war. The first trials were held November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946. Political, military and economic leaders of the Third Reich captured by the Allies were tried, The second set of trials, known as the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings tried cabinet ministers, diplomats, doctors involved in medical experiments, and SS officers involved in crimes in concentration camps or in genocide in Nazi-occupied areas. A total of 24 criminals were tried, 12 were hung, 7 were imprisoned, and 3 were acquitted.Holocaust Glossary / Vocabulary Allies: During World War II, the group of nations including the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and the Free French, who joined in the war against Germany and other Axis countries. Anschluss: The annexation of Austria by Germany on March 13, 1938. Antisemitism: Opposition to and discrimination against Jews. Aryan: A term for peoples speaking the language of Europe and India. In Nazi racial theory, a person of pure German "blood." The term "non-Aryan" was used to designate Jews, part-Jews and others of supposedly inferior racial stock. Assimilation: The process of becoming incorporated into mainstream society. Strict observance of Jewish laws and customs pertaining to dress, food, and religious holidays tends to keep Jewish people separate and distinct from the culture of the country within which they are living. Moses Mendelssohn (1729- 86), a German Jew, was one of the key people working for the assimilation of the Jews in the German cultural community. Auschwitz - Birkenau: A complex consisting of concentration, extermination, and labor camps in Upper Silesia. It was established in 1940 as a concentration camp and included a killing center in 1942. Auschwitz I: The main camp. ‘Auschwitz II (Also known as Birkenau): The extermination center. Auschwitz II (Monowitz): The I.G. Farben labor camp, also known as Buna, In addition, there were numerous subsidiary camps. Axis: Germany, Italy, and Japan, signatories to a pact signed in Berlin on September 27, 1940, to divide the world into their spheres of respective political interest. They were later joined by Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Babi Yar: A ravine in Kiev, where tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews were systematically massacred. Bar-Mitzvah/Bat-Mitzvah: A term referring to a religious "coming of age" in Judaism, when a Jewish boy or girl turns thirteen. On this day, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah leads the congregation in the service and rightfully enters the congregation as an "equal" member. Beer Hall Putsch: On November 8, 1923, Hitler, with the help of SA troops and German World War I hero General Erich Ludendorff, launched a failed coup attempt in Bavaria at a meeting of Bavarian officials in a beer hall. Belzee: Nazi extermination camp in eastern Poland. Erected in 1942. Approximately 550,000 Jews were murdered there in 1942 and 1943. The ‘Nazis dismantled the camp in the fall of 1943.Concentration camp: Concentration camps were prisons used without regard to accepted norms of arrest and detention. They were an essential part of Nazi systematic oppression. Initially (1933-36), they were used primarily for political prisoners. Later (1936-42), concentration camps were expanded and non-political prisoners--Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and Poles~-were also incarcerated. In the last period of the Nazi regime (1942-45), prisoners of concentration camps were forced to work in the armament industry, as more and more Germans were fighting in the war. Living conditions varied considerably from camp to camp and over time. The worst conditions took place from 1936-42, especially after the war broke out. Death, disease, starvation, crowded and unsanitary conditions, and torture were a daily part of concentration camps. Dachau: Nazi concentration camp in southern Germany. Erected in 1933, this was the first Nazi concentration camp. Used mainly to incarcerate German political prisoners until late 1938, whereupon large numbers of Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, and other supposed enemies of the state and anti-social elements were sent as well. Nazi doctors and scientists used many prisoners at Dachau as guinea pigs for experiments. Dachau was liberated by ‘American troops in April 1945. Death camp: Nazi extermination centers where Jews and other victims were brought to be killed as part of Hitler's Final Solution. Death marches: Forced marches of prisoners over long distances and under intolerable conditions was another way victims of the Third Reich were killed. The prisoners, guarded heavily, were treated brutally and many died from mistreatment or were shot. Prisoners were transferred from one ghetto or concentration camp to another ghetto or concentration camp or to a death camp. Degenerate art: Art which did not fit the Nazi ideal. Dehumanization: The Nazi policy of denying Jews basic civil rights such as practicing religion , education, and adequate housing. Desecrating the Host: Jews were accused of defiling the Host, the sacred bread used in the Eucharist ritual, with blood. The red substance that can grow on bread which has a blood-like appearance is now known to be a mold. This allegation was used as the reason for a series of antisemitic attacks. Diaspora: From the Greek word meaning dispersion, the term dates back to 556 B.C.E. when Nebuchadnezzar exiled the Judeans to Babylonia and refers to the Jewish communities outside Israel. Displacement: The process, either official or unofficial, of people being involuntarily moved from their homes because of war, government policies, or other societal actions, requiring groups of people to find new places to live. Displacement is a recurring theme in the history of the Jewish people.Frank, Hans: Governor-General of occupied Poland from 1939 to 1945. A member of the Nazi Party from its earliest days and Hitler's personal lawyer, he announced, "Poland will be treated like a colony; the Poles will become slaves of the Greater German Reich." By 1942, more than 85% of the Jews in Poland had been transported to extermination camps. Frank was tried at Nuremberg, convicted, and executed in 1946. Fiihrer: Leader. Adolf Hitler's title in Nazi Germany. Gas chambers: Large chambers in which people were executed by poison gas. These were built and used in Nazi death camps. Generalgouvernement (General Government): An administrative unit established by the Germans on October 26, 1939, consisting of those parts of Poland that had not been incorporated into the Third Reich. It included the districts of Warsaw, Krakow, Radom, Lublin, and Lvov. Hans Frank was appointed Governor-General. The Germans destroyed the Polish cultural and scientific institutions and viewed the Polish population as a potential work force. Genocide: The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, cultural, or religious group. German Workers' Party: As the precursor to the Nazi Party, Hitler joined the right-wing Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP) in 1919. The party espoused national pride, militarism, a commitment to the Volk, and a racially "pure" Germany. Gestapo: Acronym for Geheime Staatspolizei: Secret State Police. Prior to the outbreak of war, the Gestapo used brutal methods to investigate and suppress resistance to Nazi rule within Germany. After 1939, the Gestapo expanded its ‘operations into Nazi-occupied Europe. Ghettos: The Nazis revived the medieval term ghetto to describe their device of concentration and control, the compulsory "Jewish Quarter.” Ghettos were usually established in the poor sections of a city, where most of the Jews from the city and surrounding areas were subsequently forced to reside. Often surrounded by barbed wire or walls, the ghettos were sealed. Established mostly in eastern Europe (e.g., Lodz, Warsaw, Vilna, Riga, or Minsk), the ghettos were characterized by overerowding, malnutrition, and heavy labor. All were eventually dissolved, and the Jews murdered. Goebbels, Paul Joseph (1897-1945): Reich Propaganda Director of the NSDAP and Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Goering, Hermann (1893-1945): Leading Nazi promoted to Reichsmarshal in 1940.Jehovah's Witnesses: Religious sect that originated in the United States and had about 2, 000 members in Germany in 1933. Their religious beliefs did not allow them to swear allegiance to any worldly power making them enemies of the Nazi state. Judenrat: Council of Jewish "elders" established on Nazi orders in an occupied area. Judaism: The monotheistic religion of the Jews, based on the precepts of the Old Testament and the teachings and commentaries of the Rabbis as found chiefly in the Talmud. Kapo: A concentration camp inmate appointed by the SS to be in charge of a work gang. Kippah: The skull cap worn by Jewish men. A Kippah is wom to symbolize that man exists only from his Kippah down; God exists above the Kippah. Korezak, Dr. Janusz (1878-1942): Educator, author, physician, and director of a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw. Despite the possibility of personal freedom, he refused to abandon his orphans and went with them to the gas chamber in ‘Treblinka. Kristallnacht: Also known as The Night of the Broken Glass. On this night, November 9, 1938, almost 200 synagogues were destroyed, over 8,000 Jewish shops were sacked and looted, and tens of thousands of Jews were removed to concentration camps. This pogrom received its name because of the great value of glass that was smashed during this anti-Jewish riot. Riots took place throughout Germany and Austria on that night. League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Miidel): Female counterpart of the Hitler Youth formed in 1927 but not formerly integrated by Hitler until 1932. Lebensraum: Meaning "living space," it was a basic principle of Nazi foreign policy. Hitler believed that eastern Europe had to be conquered to create a vast German empire for more physical space, a greater population, and new territory to supply food and raw materials. Madagascar Plan: A Nazi policy that was seriously considered during the late 1930s and 1940s which would have sent Jews to Madagascar, an island off the southeast coast of Africa. At that time Madagascar was a French colony. Ultimately, it was considered impractical and the plan was abandoned.‘Neuengamme: Concentration camp located just southeast of Hamburg opened in 1940. Night of the Long Knives: On June 30, 1934, Hitler murderously purged the ranks of the SA. Nuremberg Trials: Trials of twenty-two major Nazi figures in Nuremberg, Germany in 1945 and 1946 before the International Military Tribunal. Nuremberg Laws: The Nuremberg Laws were announced by Hitler at the Nuremberg Party conference, defining "Jew" and systematizing and regulating discrimination and persecution. The "Reich Citizenship Law" deprived all Jews of their civil rights, and the "Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor" made marriages and extra-marital sexual relationships between Jews and Germans punishable by imprisonment. Operation Barbarossa: The code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union which began on June 22, 1941. Operation Reinhard: The code name for the plan to destroy the millions of Jews in the General Government, within the framework of the Final Solution. It began in October, 1941, with the deportation of Jews from ghettos to extermination camps. The three extermination camps established under Operation Reinhard were Belzec, Sobibér, and Treblinka. Pale of Settlement: The area in the western part of the Russian Empire in which Russian Jews were allowed to live from 1835-1917. Partisans: Imegular forces which use guerrilla tactics when operating in enemy-occupied territory. During the Holocaust, partisans operated secretly in their efforts to assist Jews and others persecuted by the Nazis. Passover: The Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jew's liberation from slavery in Egypt. The holiday, which lasts for eight days, requires all Jews to place themselves spiritually in the shoes of their ancestors and remember the era of bondage in order to never allow such oppression to happen again. Perpetrators: Those who do something that is morally wrong or criminal. Plaszow: Concentration camp near Kracow, Poland opened in 1942. Pogrom: An organized and often officially encouraged massacre of or attack on Jews. The word is derived from two Russian words that mean "thunder." Prejudice: A judgment or opinion formed before the facts are known. In most cases, these opinions are founded on suspicion, intolerance, and the irrational hatred of other races, religions, creeds, or nationalities.SD (Sicherheitsdienst or Security Service): The SS security and intelligence service established in 1931 under Reinhard Heydrich. Hannah Sennesh: A Palestinian Jew of Hungarian descent who fought as a partisan against the Nazis. She was captured at the close of the war and assassinated in Budapest by the Nazis. Shoah: The Hebrew word meaning "catastrophe," denoting the catastrophic destruction of European Jewry during World War I. The term is used in Israel, and the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) has designated an official day, called Yom ha-Shoah, as a day of commemorating the Shoah or Holocaust. Shtetl: A small Jewish town or village in eastern Europe. Shull: Yiddish word for synagogue, or Jewish house of prayer. Siddur: The Hebrew name for the Jewish prayerbook. Sobibér: Extermination camp located in the Lublin district of eastern Poland. Sobibér opened in May 1942 and closed the day after a rebellion by its Jewish prisoners on October 14, 1943. At least 250,000 Jews were killed there. Social Darwinism: A concept based on the idea of "survival of the fittest." Based on Social Darwinism, Nazis created a pseudo-scientific brand of racism which was most virulent when directed against the Jews, but others, particularly Slavs, were not exempt. Socialism: A theory or system of social organization that advocates the ownership and control of land, capital, industry, etc. by the community as a whole. In Marxist theory it represents the stage following capitalism in a state transforming to communism. Sonderkommando (Special Squad) @®: SS or Einsatzgruppe detachment. The term also refers to the Jewish slave labor units in extermination camps that removed the bodies of those gassed for cremation or burial. SS (Schutzstaffel / or Protection Squad) @: Guard detachments originally formed in 1925 as Hitler's personal guard. From 1929, under Himmler, the SS developed into the most powerful affiliated organization of the Nazi party. In mid-1934, they established control of the police and security systems, forming the basis of the Nazi police state and the major instrument of racial terror in the concentration camps and occupied Europe. Stalin, Joseph: Secretary General of the Communist party 1922-1953 and Premier of the USSR from 1941-1953 during the Second World War. Life under Stalin's brutally oppressive regime was hard and often dangerous.Treaty of Versailles: Germany and the Allies signed a peace treaty at the end of World War I. The United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy negotiated the treaty at the Peace Conference held in Versaille beginning on January 18, 1919. The German Republic government which replaced the imperial administration was excluded from the deliberations. The treaty created the Covenant of the League of Nations, outlined Germany's disarmament, exacted massive reparation payments from Germany, and forced Germany to cede large tracts of territory to various European nation-states. Treblinka: Extermination camp on the Bug River in the General Government. Opened in July 1942, it was the largest of the three Operation Reinhard killing centers. Between 700,000 and 900,000 persons were killed there. A revolt by the inmates on August 2, 1943, destroyed most of the camp, and it was closed in November 1943. Umschlagplatz: Place in Warsaw where freight trains were loaded and unloaded. During the deportation from the Warsaw ghetto, it was used as an assembly point where Jews were loaded onto cattle cars to be taken to Treblinka. It literally means "transfer point.” Underground: Organized group acting in secrecy to oppose government, or, during war, to resist occupying enemy forces. Volk: The concept of Volk (people, nation, or race) has been an underlying idea in German history since the early nineteenth century. Inherent in the name was a feeling of superiority of German culture and the idea of a universal mission for the German people. Vught: Concentration and transit camp in the Netherlands opened in January 1943. Waffen-SS: Militarized units of the SS. Raoul Wallenberg: A Swedish diplomat who deliberately stationed himself in Hungary during the war to save Hungarian Jews from their deaths. ‘Wannsee Conference: On January 20, 1942 on a lake near Berlin the SS official, Reinhard Heydrich, helped present and coordinate the Final Solution.WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE CLIMATE THAT PERMITTED A HOLOCAUST? -DEFEAT in World War 1. and what was perceived as an unjust peace treaty, and unfair financial burden. -LOSS OF FACE in the community of nations. -FINANCIAL COLLAPSE IN 1929 and Depression, which left economic ruin, as well as political instability, and uncertainty. -POWER STRUGGLES BETWEEN Communists, Capitalists, and Socialists. -FEAR OF ACOMMUNIST REVOLUTION similar to that in Russia loomed ever-menacing. “INABILITY TO FORM A STABLE GOVERNMENT: Rule was often by emergency decree. Elected officials couldn't rule without coalitions. Elections were frequent and violent. -FEAR OF CHANGE brought about a more liberal modern age. WHAT WAS THE APPEAL OF THE NAZIS? -In this time of uncertainty and instability: Their message was delivered with certainty. There was strength associated with authoritarian rule. -It appealed to nationalism and identified with superiority. “Master plan for glorious Germany had a mission for everyone. -It used propaganda and pageantry in a masterful way. ~The message was directed to the average man. There was a strong emphasis on family, morality. it opposed degeneracy. -It put people to work. To the powerless, there was the seduc in of power. -By using scapegoating. They identified those whom they labeled “ enemies of Germany” — Jews, Gypsies, and the handicapped. M. Sobol: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1994 (reproduced with permission)METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS ‘The teaching of Holocaust history demands of educators a high level of sensitivity and a keen awareness of the complexity of the subject matter. The following recommendations, while reflecting approaches that ‘would be appropriate for effective teaching in general, are particularly relevant to Holocaust education. 1. Define what you mean by "Holocaust". ‘The Holocaust refers to a specific event in 20th century history: The systematic, bureaucratic annihilation of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and their collaborators as a central act of state during World War II, In 1933 approximately nine million Jews lived in the 21 countries of Europe that would be occupied by Germany during the war. By 1945 two out of every three European Jews had been killed. Although Jews were the primary victims, up to one half million Gypsies and at least 250,000 mentally or physically disabled persons were also victims of genocide. As Nazi tyranny spread across Europe from 1933 to 1945, millions of other innocent people were persecuted and murdered. More than three million Soviet prisoners of war were killed because of their nationality. Poles, as well as other Slavs, were targeted for slave labor, and as a result of the ‘Nazi terror, almost two million perished. Homosexuals and others deemed "anti- social" were also persecuted and often murdered. In addition, thousands of political and religious dissidents such as communists, socialists, trade unionists, and Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their beliefs and behavior and many of these individuals died as a result of maltreatment. 2, Avoid comparisons of pain. ‘A study of the Holocaust should always highlight the different policies carried out by the Nazi regime towards various groups of people; however, these distinctions should not be presented as a basis for comparison of suffering between them. Avoid generalizations which suggest exclusivity, such as "the victims of the Holocaust suffered the most cruelty ever faced by a people in the history of humanity.” One cannot presume that the horror of an individual, family or community destroyed by the Nazis was any greater than that experienced by victims of other genocides. 3, Avoid simple answers to complex history. A study of the Holocaust raises difficult questions about human behavior, and it often. involves complicated answers as to why events occurred. Be wary of oversimplifications. Allow students to contemplate the various factors which contributed to the Holocaust; do not attempt to reduce Holocaust history to one or two catalysts in isolation from the other factors which came into play. For example, the Holocaust was not simply the logical and inevitable consequence of unbridled racism. Rather, racism, combined with centuries-old bigotry, renewed by anationalistic fervor which emerged in Europe in the latter half of the 19th. century, fueled by Germany's defeat in World War I and its national humiliation following the Treaty of Versailles, exacerbated by worldwide economic hard times, the ineffectiveness of the Weimar Republic, and international indifference, and catalyzed by the political charisma, militaristic inclusiveness, and manipulative propaganda of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime, contributed to the eventuality of the Holocaust.7. Try to avoid stereotypical descriptions. Though all Jews were targeted for destruction by the Nazis, the experiences of all Jews ‘were not the same. Simplistic views and stereotyping take place when groups of people are viewed as monolithic in attitudes and actions. How ethnic groups or social clusters are labeled and portrayed in school curricula has a direct impact ‘on how students perceive groups in their daily lives. Remind your students that although members of a group may share common experiences and beliefs, generalizations about them, without benefit of modifying or qualifying terms (eg., "sometimes," "usually," "in many cases but not all") tend to stereotype group behavior and distort historical reality. Thus, all Germans cannot be characterized as Nazis, nor should any nationality be reduced to a singular or ‘one-dimensional description. Do not romanticize history to engage students’ interest. One of the great risks of Holocaust eduication is the danger of fostering cynicism in our students by exposing them to the worst of human nature. Regardless, accuracy of fact must be a teacher's priority. People who risked their lives to rescue victims of ‘Nazi oppression provide useful and important role models for students, yet an overemphasis on heroic tales in a unit on the Holocaust results in an inaccurate and unbalanced account of the history. It is important to bear in mind that "at best, less than one-half of one percent of the total population [of non-Jews] under Nazi occupation helped to rescue Jews." [Oliner and Oliner, 1991, p. 363] 9. Contextualize the history you are teaching. Events of the Holocaust, and particularly how individuals and organizations behaved at that time, must be placed in an historical context so that students can begin to comprehend the circumstances that encouraged or discouraged these acts. Frame your approach to specific events and acts of complicity or defiance by considering when and where an act took place; the immediate consequences to oneself and one's family of assisting victims; the impact of contemporaneous events; the degree of control the Nazis had on a country or local population; the cultural attitudes of particular native populations historically toward different victim groups, and the availability, effectiveness, and risk of potential hiding places. Students should be reminded that individuals and groups do not always fit neatly into the same categories of behavior. The very same people did not always act consistently as "bystanders," "collaborators," "perpetrators," or "rescuers." Individuals and groups often behaved differently depending upon changing events and circumstances. The same person who in 1933 might have stood by and remained uninvolved while witnessing social discrimination of Jews, might later have joined up with the SA and become a collaborator or have been moved to dissent vocally or act in defense of Jewish friends and neighbors.12. Strive for balance in establishing whose perspective informs your study of the Holocaust. Often, too great an emphasis is placed on the victims of Nazi aggression, rather than on. the victimizers who forced people to make impossible choices or simply left them with no choice to make. Most students express empathy for victims of mass murder. But, it is not uncommon for students to assume that the victims may have done something to justify the actions against them, and thus to place inappropriate blame on the victims themselves. ‘There is also a tendency among students to glorify power, even when it is used to kill innocent people. Many teachers indicate that their students are intrigued and in some cases, intellectually seduced, by the symbols of power which pervaded Nazi propaganda (e.g,, the swastika, Nazi flags and regalia, Nazi slogans, rituals, and music). Rather than highlight the trappings of Nazi power, teachers should ask students to evaluate how such elements are used by governments (including our own) to build, protect, and mobilize a society. Students should be encouraged to contemplate as well how such elements can be abused and manipulated by governments to implement and legitimize acts of terror and even genocide. Inany review of the propaganda used to promote Nazi ideology, Nazi stereotypes of targeted victim groups, and the Hitler regime's justifications for persecution and murder, teachers need to remind students that just because such policies and beliefs are under discussion in class does not mean they are acceptable. It would be a terrible irony if students arrived at such a conclusion. Furthermore, any study of the Holocaust should address both the victims and the perpetrators of violence, and attempt to portray each as human beings, capable of moral judgment and independent decision-making but challenged by circumstances which made both self-defense and independent thought not merely difficult but perilous and potentially lethal. 13. Select appropriate learning activities. Just because students favor a certain learning activity does not necessarily mean that it should be used. For example, such activities as word scrambles, crossword puzzles, and other gimmicky exercises tend not to encourage critical analysis, but lead instead to low level types of thinking and, in the case of Holocaust curricula, trivialize the importance of studying this history. When the effects of a particular activity run counter to the rationale for studying the history, then that activity should not be used. Similarly, activities that encourage students to construct models of killing camps should also be reconsidered since any assignment along this line will almost inevitably end up being simplistic, time-consuming, and tangential to the educational objectives for studying the history of the Holocaust.Teaching The Lessons of The Holocaust: Lost Childhoods e Almost one and one-half million children, from more than thirteen nations, were murdered by the Nazis between the years 1939 and 1945. The majority of the children killed were Jewish, but Thousands were Roman (Gypsy), disabled children, and Polish-Catholic. © Children were killed to prevent future generations of what were considered to be inferior races and to guard against the possibility of being able to avenge the death of their parents. * Several hundred children were sent to England for safety as part of the Kindertransport. © Children were resourceful, participating in acts of active and spiritual resistance. * Ordinary people acted heroically by hiding children, often jeopardizing their own family’s security. * Millions of other European children suffered lost childhoods. ¢ The survivors alive today were once children of the Holocaust.Bibliography for Elementary School Grade Level 4 Subjects: Prejudice, Diversity, Social Action student Materials: L Berenstain Bears and the IN-CROWD (Primary Grades) Laura Williams Publisher: Random House, N.Y. 1989 Focuses on the development of friendships, group status and feelings of being “left- out.” ‘The Meanest Thing to Say (Primary Grades) Bill Cosby Publisher: Scholastic 1997 ‘An excellent story about a young boy who is being picked on and how he is taught to deal with his feelings of anger. Excellent as a trigger for class discussion. Molly's Pilgrim: (Third Grade) Video is available Barbara Cohen Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shephard Books, New York 1983 ‘An excellent story about an Russian Immigrant third-grade girl and her struggles to be accepted in America. Itis based on a true incident experienced by a member of the author's family. Good for discussions on diversity. Make a Wish, Molly (Sequel to Molly's Pilgrim, 4""-6" grades ) Video is available Barbara Cohen Publisher: DoubleDay, N.Y. 1994 Acontinuation of the story of Russian-born, Molly. of “Molly's Pilgrim.” It follows her to California a year after her family’s arrival in America. Excellent book for study of religious diversity. The Brand-New Kid (4,5 grades) Katie Couric Publisher: DoubleDay, New York 1999 An excellent book for discussion about the “outsider.” Lazlo and his classmates learn how more alike they are than they thought. Helps children to deal with feelings of being alone and “outside” the group. The Keeping Quilt: (4,5" grades) Patricia Polacco Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers, N.Y. 1988 ‘A good introduction for students learning about intergenerational traditions using immigrant history. Very rich and meaningful visuals. ‘The Hand-Me Down Horse (4-6" grades) Marion Hess Pomeranc Publisher: ;Albert Whitman and Co. Morton Grove, Ill. 1996 Excellent lessons on welcoming a new child to a community with focus on the immigrant boy, David, and his struggles with a new language upon his move from German to the us. Prepared by: Deanne S. 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Echoes and Reflections is a comprehensive Holocaust education program that delivers professional development and a rich array of resources for middle and high school teachers. Echoes and Reflections prepares educators to teach about the Holocaust in a way that stimulates engagement and critical thinking while providing ‘opportunities for students to see the relevance of this complex history to their own lives. Cac cura ‘Teaching about the Holocaust using Echoes and Reflections helps students make connections with the past, gin relevant insight into human dilemmas and difficult social challenges, and determine their roles and responsibilities in the world around them. “The ultimate job of a teacher is to make connections to your students with the curriculum. .. You want them to get something out of it that’s not just the facts. You want them to walk away with a personal sense of responsibility. Echoes and Reflections helps me do that." Nel Lisberg, Social Studies Teacher Pinebush High School, New York AO an ard Aoint program ofthe Ant Defamation League, USC Shoah Foundation, and Yad Vashem BL USCShoah Foundation Cie ceed It’s relevant Individual stories from survivors, liberators, and other ‘witnesses of the Holocaust help students examine contemporary social issues related to fairness and justice. It's resource-intensive Extensive primary and secondary source materials aligned with modular, interdisciplinary lessons help students understand what happened, why it happened, and how it relates to difficult issues they face today. Plus every participant receives a free, comprehensive ‘Teacher's Resource Guide. It's up-to-date ‘Teacher-friendly materials address academic standards and incorporate a mix of instructional strategies and technologies for use in 21st century classrooms. It’s accessible Echoes and Reflections provides value to both ‘experienced Holocaust educators who are supplementing their curricula and for teachers new to Holocaust education. Cau ene‘One Voice ata Time Echoes and Reflections provides an excellent Pte nc amy eee ae Reames eC Reece] eee eee Teknik pe Ea eke cua) en eee nae neces eee at ees ORE Ic Peer co Se Middle School Language Arts Teacher Ser Spring, Maryland Teaching with Visual History Testimony through IWitness [Witness is an educational website developed by USC Shoah Foundation that capitalizes on the power of visual history testimony to engage students in Holocaust history Witness allows teachers and their students to search, watch,and learn directly from the eyewitnesses to history including Get Started How to Register 1.60 to witnessuscedu 2.Glck the Register Now’ button in the ‘upper ight comer 3.Clck on Educators" ‘4Fillout the registration form and click the individuals who are featured in Echoes “Submit” and Reflections. Itfeatures a Visual History ‘Options ‘Archive containing more than 1,500 video Information Quests are built around an Howto Createa Student Group testimonies. individual story specific theme. Students 1. Log in to your Witness Account constructa word cloud using the integrated 2.Clickon the*Students and Groups" tab on Extend Echoes and Reflections builder. ‘the gray bar Classroom Learning 23.Clickon”Make a Group inthe upper right [Witness activities complement Echoes Mini Quests are shorter studies that comer and Reflections lessons by encouraging _—_ alow fora wide range of student outputs, Enter aname for ths group (ex Period 1 critical thinking and self-reflection thereby including writing projects,photo projects, World History) helping students examine theirown place creative representations, and more. 5.Clckon’Make this Group inthe world andthe profound impact their 6.Give students the keycode to enrollin your ‘words and actions can have on others 1e0 Bullding Activities engage students Witness Group. Students construct their own multimedia in digital storytelling and research and are presentations that integrate testimony clips generally structured around a broad theme, with footage from other sourcesas wellas Students build video essays short fms, and photographs and maps, voiceover audio, _other multimedia presentations using an ‘music and text. Integrated video editor ECHOES and anita tnenyor dona enn more information about Witness, visit iwitness.usc.edu REFLECTIONS ( ontcsttimscnstontinossndfeectonsiteshosdeconss Leaders in Holocaust EducationIntroduction VISUAL HISTORY CLIPS BY LESSON ed ea rjngtreNeoesust [Sse Mal Meer _re Kral Paro 4as jon Grntin [Pena John Germany 056 tr Saaon eis cel fe nd reo eli in roma Gemasy | 145 Chilthood a elias with fay snd now-lews eae: Prewas Jewish Lie and [Ma _litore Nas oxopation sas far Ancieni Harasnent of Geman Fv aby Wei hessow2 [enh erin he 3300 " aos fier sei and andl eng JOE Bos ad 204 __[Pisconion of racic Nai cusnic ideas in German cots | at2_| pare 2: Nai Amie [ric Hie You movement sndiniens ofan | 14S hesogy snd Propaganda 4 fete cient Na ropes 140 rat Wenae Rese ad ated car» ___ [the Wena Rea nd mabegun goverment os Iie of she Net ay errs = freee fakshiran lation a pewar Germany andi fc on vce” | .04 [a adskecen coton he appeal of fing «German fia teini___ fanaa oth novenent ce 4st 2 he Jeih Pog aman Coa [The Neetu Laws andl con ew ie ow si Pare 2: Antewish Poy fren ie ia Germany Iau Lanies apap of Jom in 1933 ray nie cit ferent Krsna Poprom | fee Germany and nig oer i ere oe rs abr rae 3: paid Hae re __ phir in sachs again aninded Jona | 4.00 cies a Jewish youth move preva Gemany | 1:36 Pare inthe Geos [Depron othe Lode eno | 136] jeh Monon __|Coninement, savant in the Lode het 200 teotekewall __|seyrgation snd crowing inthe Lode gh rs0_| frsson a ee ee os Neat 2¢-The Rote of se Gres OSH States [Hangs ks, and dentin he hee | ersteman fos of childhood, forced abr and idnginagheno | _3.05 [One suvvr though on wh cen were soe + ets nin [ate ely mune othe phar oe cro snitater [Coping inthe hes staging nd food 11 lea at Asche nd sepuon of family eters | 3:19 kee caeard [saan Bon [rial Tein ad wleson he cbr 00 lessons: cto fons Spel oom Asch The Fal Soltion® a remove eae 220 far: ecpatcs (lbs Zrmeowi, Ja day nAmebwig | ato when ofc ___arvvng mer non 3aRegister Now You and your students are invited to partici 18" Annual Holocaust Art & Writing Contest I Have a Story to Tell Dee RCE no chapman.edu/holocaust- Register Now TET BUT OCU Cy ECP Cerys