Note from the Editor «The Holocaust – Glue for Wallpaper?» In this issue we present the various aspects This is the name of the documentary film Ilya Altman, cochairman of the Holocaust of teaching and studying the Holocaust in by Russian director Mumin Shakirov, shown Center stressed the importance of the film to Russia. The Center organized a highprofile at the 350 Moscow International Film Festival Russian young people and teachers and international conference in Kaliningrad and on June 22, the day Germany invaded the expressed hope that this film will become the held memorial events in the Smolensk and Soviet Union. It is significant that this is the subject of a dialogue between schoolchildren and Tver’ districts as well as in Stavropol territory. only Russian film of the eight films selected students in the seminars and youth discussion Five new books, including a new volume of for the festival in this category. The film is about clubs on the topic of Second World War and the Jewish letters and diaries written during the two Moscow students, Eugenia and Ksenia, Holocaust. «The film showed a teacher from Second World War and documents on the participants in the popular television show Vladimir (where the girls attended a boarding international conference «Remembrance of «Pretty smart», who go on a trip to Auschwitz. school), who emphasized that simply the Holocaust» which took place in Rostov on In the episode that aired in December 2011, mentioning the term «Holocaust» in the Don in August 2012, have been published in twins Karatygin were asked «What is the classroom – is not enough». the «Library of the Russian Holocaust» series. Holocaust?». They replied «It is the glue for «If I found more materials about the Our Center organized and held around wallpaper». A video posted on the Internet has Holocaust, I would certainly have an extra ten seminars supported by grants from the been viewed by hundreds of thousands of lesson devoted to it» – with these words she President of the Russian Federation and the people. It caused a serious debate about how concluded the interview. «I know that the Claims Conference. the history of the Second World War is taught Holocaust is covered in almost all schools A UN journal has published an article in schools across the country whose troops in Vladimir. Apparently, this is not enough. about the experiences of teaching the liberated Auschwitz extermination camp and Only the National Day of Remembrance of Holocaust in Russia. what young people know about the Second the Holocaust victims and liberators of the World War today. Soon after, Mumin Shakirov death camps allows pupils, their parents and invited the girls onto «Radio Liberty». Alla teachers to gain a deeper understanding of Gerber, President of the «Holocaust» the meaning of this term,»– said the co chairman of the Holocaust Center. This film is not only and not so much about the Holocaust, but about the attitude of modern Russian young people to the memory of victims of Nazism. The responses to this film on the internet are evidence of the different attitudes to the idea to show the Holocaust through the eyes of young people. Interestingly, during the first discussions of The Center’s international connections the film in Rostov and Taganrog almost all have also grown considerably. In addition to Foundation took part in the programme. That schoolchildren and students said that they our traditional contacts in Israel, the USA, is where the idea to take the sisters to Auschwitz wanted to learn more about this tragedy. In France, and Germany, we have established death camp and make a film about it was born. 2014 the Holocaust Center plans to show the new contacts and partnerships with our The film was made with the support of the film in three discussion seminars for teachers colleagues in Japan and Armenia. Russian Jewish Congress and several other in different regions of Russia. But the most important new project is the organizations. At a press conference after the planning and holding of international forums film, Mumin Shakirov thanked Alla Gerber, devoted to children who have been victims because she was one of the first who supported of terror in recent history. The central focus the idea. Yuri Dombrowski, Chairman of the of these forums is finding comparisons with Board of Trustees responsible for the project the Holocaust and using the experience of the «Remembering the Holocaust» spoke about Holocaust remembrance of victims. The next 400 burial sites of Jews in Russia. None of such forum will be held in Vladikavkaz at the the monuments have the nationality of the beginning of September 2014. victims and the word «Holocaust». THE PROBLEMS OF MEMORIALIZATION 2 THE NEWSLETTER “HOLOCAUST” Terror against children in modern history The Holocaust Center was coorganiser International Association of Cities where of the 1st International Conference such attacks took place, appealed to «Children – victims of terror in modern international organizations working with history: the problems of historical memory». children to fight for legislation protecting It was held in Vladikavkaz at the North the rights of child victims of terror attacks Ossetia State University (NOSU) named and the recognition of such acts as crimes after K.L. Khetagurov. against humanity, without a time limit. This was held on the ninth anniversary of Professor Alexander Asmolov at the Moscow the three day siege of the school in Beslan, State University, member of the Russian North Ossetia, Caucasus, Russia. 1,100 Academy of Education, Director of the Federal hostages—including 770 children— were Institute for Education Development (FIED), held hostage. spoke in his video message about the importance Aneta Gadieva, cochairman Beslan became known around the world of understanding and teaching about crimes of the «Mothers of Beslan» group in the wake of a Chechen suicide mission against children in Russia. In her paper «From The emotional speeches of Maxim Zhukov, that killed over 186 children and about 200 the Holocaust to Beslan», Alla Gerber, member former member of «Alpha» – a rescue group parents, teachers and rescuers. The total of the Public Chamber of the Russian for children in Beslan and Aneta Gadieva, one number is unknown due to the vanished and Federation and president of the «Holocaust of the leaders of the «Mothers of Beslan» were burnt bodies of both hostages and terrorists. Foundation» drew a parallel between the crime of particular interest. Both expressed support Greetings from Teimuraz Mamsurov, in Beslan and modern neoNazism in Russia. for the idea of collecting evidence and president of the Republic of North Ossetia Ilya Altman, cochairman of the «Holocaust eyewitness accounts of the Beslan tragedy. Alania and Yuri Kanner, president of the Russian Center», professor at the Russian State There was a presentation on the textbook Jewish Congress (RJC) were read at the opening University for the Humanities (RSUH), «From Holocaust to Beslan», prepared with the ceremony. In March 2012 they signed an presidential adviser in the Russian Jewish participation of the Federal Academy of Teacher agreement on cooperation in preserving the Congress (RJC) spoke about the research and Training and the Museum of Jewish Heritage memory of the Beslan tragedy, the result of the importance of including in the school and the Holocaust on Poklonnaya Hill. Natalia which was the holding of this conference. curriculum the subject of terror against children Anisina has described the textbook as a «weapon Professor Tamerlane Kambolov, the First in modern history. against wretched» potential terrorists. ViceRector of NOSU stressed the importance Kiril Feferman, member of the Commission Teachers Larisa Kochenova and Tatyana of international cooperation and the necessity of Righteous among the Nations Award Svetlova (North Ossetia), Olga Gorskikh of studying and preserving the memory of the (Israel) spoke about how children of different (Tomsk), Marina Tsyrenova (UlanUde) Beslan victims and other genocides. nationalities rescued Jewish children during and Elena Khodzher (Khabarovsk Krai) Dr. Shimon Samuels (France), Director the Holocaust. Hasmik Grigoryan, fellow shared their experiences of teaching about for International Relations at the Simon researcher of the Institute of the Armenian the Beslan tragedy. All of them had had Wiesenthal Center called Beslan the major Genocide (Armenia) gave an emotional pre training in the Holocaust Centre in different place in the world for crimes against sentation on the tragedy of Armenian children years. The conference participants agreed to children, proposed the creation of an who were killed during the 1915 genocide. work on improving understanding of the The school sports hall where the tragedy happened Beslan tragedy, memorialization of victims and rescuers and introduction of the subject into the school curriculum. The conference participants visited the school in Beslan, where they met with the head of the Beslan district and members of the «Mothers of Beslan» Committee and laid a wreath and flowers at the cemetery called «City of Angels» where the victims of the terrorist attack and the security officers killed during the rescue operation are buried. The conference was organized by the government of the Republic of North Ossetia – Alania (led by Deputy Prime Minister Leonid Keselbrener and Minister for National Relations Soslan Fraev) and RJC and NOSU. 3 THE PROBLEMS OF MEMORIALIZATION THE NEWSLETTER “HOLOCAUST” International Children’s Agencies are urged to endorse the Center’s designation of terrorism against children as a crime against humanity September 3, Beslan, Russia Keynote speech by Dr.Shimon S. Samuels – Vladikavkaz, 3rd September 2013 Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for Interna When the Israelites arrived in Israel 3,500 wrapped the children tightly in blankets tional Relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Center years ago, they found darkness and evil. The before they departed so that their limbs would was invited by the Russian Holocaust Center to city conquered by David – Jerusalem – not fall beyond the exploded mines.