th 27 January 2021

Holocaust Memorial Day

Be the light in the darkness We will continue to do our bit for as long as we can, secure in the knowledge that others will continue to light a candle long after us. - Gena Turgel MBE, survivor of the Holocaust (1923-2018)

This resource was compiled by Mirela Temo (EMA/NQT Adviser, MA History/Geography) Email: [email protected]

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th 27 January – Holocaust Memorial Day

Why a Holocaust Memorial Day

27 January is the Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). In this international day we remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. HMD offers a chance to reflect on our past, and a call to work for a better future. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable and we cannot be complacent. Prejudice, identity based hostility, and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2021

The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2021 is Be the light in the darkness. It encour- ages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide.

Be the light in the darkness is an affirmation and a call to action for everyone marking HMD. This theme asks us to consider different kinds of ‘darkness’, for example, identity-based per- secution, misinformation, denial of justice; and different ways of ‘being the light’, for exam- ple, resistance, acts of solidarity, rescue and illuminating mistruths.

Teaching and learning about the Holocaust

Although unique in time and place, the Holocaust was nonetheless a human event that raises challenging questions: about individual and collective responsibility, the meaning of active citizenship, and about the structures and societal norms that can become dangerous for certain groups and society as a whole. Teaching and learning about the Holocaust provides an essential opportunity to inspire critical thinking, social awareness, and personal growth. The Holocaust, a watershed event in world history, spanned geographic boundaries, affected all segments of societies and occurred in the context of the Second World War.

Whether teaching your students about the Holocaust as part of the History curriculum, part of Holocaust Memorial Day, or taking a cross curricular approach, this document provides some useful classroom resources, ideas, lesson plans and activities.

Mirela Temo [email protected]

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Contents

1. Weblinks for useful lesson plans and resources (Cross-Phase) – page 5 2. List of books on holocaust and WWII (Cross-Phase) – page 6 – 16 3. Otto – The Autobiography of a German-born teddy bear who is separated from his Jewish owner, lives through World War II, and is reunited with his original owner 50 years later (Primary) – page 17 – 25 4. Guidelines for delivering Holocaust and genocide education on Holocaust Memorial Day (Cross-Phase) 5. Lesson plan (Primary) 6. Holocaust Memorial Day genocide film screening and discussion – Guidance (Cross- Phase) 7. Historical Association resource – 'So why did they go into hiding - Anne Frank in her historical and social context - Darius Jackson (Cross-Phase) 8. Holocaust Memorial Day Trust resource – The Veseli Family (Primary) 9. Historical Association resource – Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust (Secondary / also teacher resource) 10. Historical Association resource – Connecting the dots: helping Year 9 to debate the purposes of Holocaust and genocide education (Secondary) 11. Historical Association resource – ‘But I still don’t get why the Jews’: using cause and change to answer pupils’ demand for an overview of antisemitism (Secondary)

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Resources

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is the charity established by the UK government to promote and support HMD. They support schools to mark HMD in a number of ways - producing free education resources, such as pin badges, booklets and posters, our life stories, assemblies for primary and secondary level, lessons and creative activities suitable for all ability levels, teacher guidelines, films, and much more. Ideas for assemblies https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/hmd-assembly-primary-schools/ https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/hmd-assembly-secondary-schools/

Historical Association https://www.history.org.uk/ Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust https://www.history.org.uk/historian/resource/3563/anti-semitism-and-the-holocaust Teaching History 141: The Holocaust edition/ 153: The Holocaust & Other Genocides https://www.history.org.uk/publications/resource/3857/teaching-history-141-the-holocaust-edition https://www.history.org.uk/publications/resource/6971/teaching-history-153-the-holocaust-other- genoci The holocaust explained https://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ Holocaust Educational Trust https://www.het.org.uk/hmd-2021/primary-schools Guide for Primary Teachers https://www.het.org.uk/images/downloads/Primary/A_Guide_for_Primary_School_Teachers.pdf Scheme of work (KS1 – KS3) https://www.het.org.uk/primary https://www.het.org.uk/teaching-resources

Centre for Holocaust Education (UCL) Classroom materials https://www.holocausteducation.org.uk/teacher-resources/materials/ National Archives (Holocaust resources) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/holocaust/ Holocaust Memorial Day – BBC resources for schools https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/holocaust-memorial-day-2019/zb3r6v4 Teachwire.net – Classroom Resources https://www.teachwire.net/news/holocaust-memorial-day-teaching-resources Facing History Step by step – Phases leading to Holocaust https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/video/step-step-phases-holocaust History.com https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust Religious Studies and Holocaust https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zphkqty The Anne Frank House https://www.annefrank.org/en/ The National Holocaust Centre and Museum https://www.holocaust.org.uk/ The Journey https://journey.holocaust.org.uk/class-lessons/

National Association of Religious Education Teachers (NATRE) Jewish People https://www.natre.org.uk/resources/termly-mailing/inspiring-re/jewish-people/

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Holocaust books for children Recommended by Jewish Book Council https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/books/reading-lists/holocaust-books-for-children

Anne Frank Josephine Poole; Angela Barrett, illus. Hedy's Journey: The True Story of a Hungarian Girl Fleeing the Holocaust Michelle Bisson; El primo Ramón, illus.

Anne Frank and the Remembering Tree Sandy Eisenberg Sasso; Erika Steiskal, illus.

The Hiding Game Gwen Strauss; Herb Leonhard, illus.

Escape From Berlin Irene N. Watts A Concert in the Sand Tami Shem-Tov and Rachella Sandbank; Avi Ofer, illus.

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Gifts from the Enemy Trudy Ludwig

Jars of Hope Jennifer Roy, Meg Owenson, illus.

Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto Susan Rubin Goldman; Bill Farnsworth, illus.

Mister Doctor: Janusz Korczak & the Orphans of the Warsaw Ghetto Irene Cohen-Janca Maurizio Quarello, illus.

Janusz Korczak’s Children Gloria Spielmam; Matthew Archambault, illus.

The Magician of Auschwitz Kathy Kacer

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The Whispering Town

The Orphan Rescue Jennifer Elvgren; Fabio Santomauro, illus. Anne Dublin; Qin Leng, illus.

The Patchwork Torah Allison Ofanansky; Elsa Oriol, illus. The Wren and the Sparrow J. Patrick Lewis; Yevgenia Nayberg, illus.

The Secret of the Village Fool Rebecca Upjohn; Renne Benoit, illus. Through Eva’s Eyes Phoebe Eloise Unterman Recommended by https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/books/reading-lists/holocaust-books-for-children

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Recommended by Scholastic https://www.scholastic.co.uk

My Survival: A Girl on Schindler's List On the Move: Poems About Migration

Poems from the Second World War Hana's Suitcase: A True Story

The Story of the Second World War for Chil- dren

We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport

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The Tattooist of Auschwitz (YA Edition) My True Story: Can I Come Home, Please?

The Great War Anthology The Book Thief

Soon Horrible Histories: Woeful Second World War

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Hidden: True Stories of Children Who Survived World War II Holocaust tales of children who hid to stay alive, collected by a top filmmaker and journalist. It’s hard to get your head around, but Anne Frank was one of thousands – now fourteen more Holocaust tales are finally told.

Anne Frank’s Story A simple and moving account of the life of Anne Frank, the young girl who evaded the Nazis for two years before finally dying in Bergen-Belsen. This biography journeys from her happy early childhood in Frankfurt to her youth in Amsterdam, and from her years in hiding to the final months of her life in the concentration camps.

I Am David A truly essential modern classic, this is the heartbreaking tale of a child’s lone journey through Europe. David’s spent all his life in a concentration camp. He’s never known his parents, or any world outside. But now he’s free. He’s escaped – and now he’s racing across Europe, with his enemies hot on his heels.

The Promise Eva and her brother Heinz live happily in the beautiful city of Vienna – until war breaks out. Hunted for being Jews, with no choice but to hide, she and Heinz must put their faith in a special promise… Telling the true story of a Jewish family caught up in the Holocaust, this tale of war and loyalty will move you to tears.

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The Things We Did for Love Horrific and beautiful. A real Nazi massacre in wartime France, woven into a love story. Have you heard of Oradour-sur-Glane? A pretty little village in southern France. An ordinary place – until 10th June 1944. When Nazi soldiers slaughtered the village-folk and razed it to the ground.

Recommended by Holocaust Education Trust

Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo A suspenseful and sensitively narrated tale, set in the French Pyrenees, whose child protagonist is drawn into a mission to smuggle Jews to safety across the border. Written with human warmth and compassion, the novel carefully avoids simplistic characterisation or mor- alising. Teachers should exercise their judgement as to the potential emotional impact of the denoue- ment on their students.

One Small Suitcase by Barry Turner Adapted from …And the Policeman Smiled, a history text for adults, this book uses interviews with for- mer child refugees and those who helped them to tell the story of the Kindertransport.

Good-bye Marianne by Irene N. Watts & Kathryn, E. Shoemaker, Simply yet effectively illustrated, this partly autobiographical graphic novel addresses the Kinder- transport and its context. Watts’s earlier prose version of the same story – Goodbye Marianne (Anchorage) – is harder to track down but comparing it with the graphic novel can be a rewarding learning experience.

Adèle Geras, A Candle in the Dark (A & C Black) A short story about the Kindertransport which does not flinch from some of the more uncomforta- ble aspects of its subject matter, including the attitudes of some British citizens.

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Recommended by Book Trust

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/h/holocaust-childrens-books/

Hitler's Canary Once Author: Sandi Author: Morris Gleitzman Toksvig Interest age: 10+ Interest age: 9+ Reading age: 9+ Reading age: 9+ Morris Gleitzman brings Hitler's Canary, heart and humour to the ultimately, is about difficult subject of the the courage and Holocaust in this ground- heroism of breaking children's book. ordinary citizens in a time of danger and strife.

The Silver Sword Death Match Author: Ian Seraillier Interest age: 9+ Interest age: 11+ Reading age: 9+ Reading age: 8+ In the chaos of World During the occupation of War II, Ruth, Edek Ukraine in World War II, and Bronia are players from what had separated from their been the Dynamo Kiev parents, and left alone to fend football team set themselves up as for themselves, hiding from the Start FC and competed in a Nazi- Nazis in the ruins of their city. organised league Author: Andy Croft Illustrator: Bob Moulder

When Hitler Stole Survivors of the Holocaust Pink Rabbit Author: Kath Shackleton Author: Judith Kerr Illustrator: Zane Partly Whittingham and Ryan autobiographical, this Jones is first of the Interest age: 9-11 internationally Reading age: 9-11 acclaimed trilogy by Six people tell their stories Judith Kerr telling the of living through the Holocaust as unforgettable story of a Jewish children in this compelling and deeply family fleeing from Germany at thought-provoking graphic novel-style the start of the World War II. book.

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Anne Frank Author: Josephine The Dollmaker of Krakow Poole Illustrator: Author: R. M. Romero Angela Barrett Illustrator: Lisa Perrin Interest age: 8+ Interest age: 9+ Reading age: 8+ Reading age: 9+ This account of the Nazi Doll Karolina is saved from persecution of the Jews and war in her native Land of Anne Frank's family's hiding in a the Dolls and transported secret annexe to escape them, is to Poland to live with a sensitively told. man known as the Dollmaker - only for their lives to be turned upside down by World War II. An unusual novel blending reality with folklore and fantasy that will have a lasting impact on readers.

A Song for Summer Girl with a White Dog Author: Eva Ibbotson Author: Anne Booth

Interest age: 12+ Interest age: 11+ Reading age: 11+ Reading age: 10+ A deliciously old- Jessie is delighted when fashioned story, which she finds a beautiful white encompasses love, puppy at Gran's house. adventure and a host of But then Gran starts becoming memorable characters. confused, and saying strange things about their new pet.

Other recommendations

Benno and the Night of Broken Glass by Meg Wiviott This engaging picture book for kids in about grades 2 to 5 features Benno, a cat who enjoys walking around his Berlin neighborhood, stealing scraps and ear scratches from strangers, as he observes the Christian and Jewish families around him changing during the days leading up to Kristallnacht in 1938. The cat sees books burned and windows smashed as the Nazis move in, and wonders where some of his favorite people go. It’s a poignant and gentle introduction to the holocaust for younger children, but reviews from teachers in even upper elementary grades have great things to say about the discussions this book will generate. (Recommended Ages: 7-11)

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Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Number the Stars, a Holocaust novel for children published in 1989, focuses on Annemarie, a 10 year old in Denmark, whose family pretends her Jewish best friend is actually her older sister — who had earlier been killed for her work with the Danish Resistance. Author Lois Lowry is incredibly adept at handling difficult and complex subject matters with a special kind of beauty that kids just get, and this book is no exception. (Recommended Ages: 10-12)

The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen This highly lauded 1990 YA novel about the Holocaust tells the story of Hannah, a teenage girl in modern times who is bored with and embarrassed by her Jewish family’s constant talk about the past. One day, she’s magically transported back in time to a Polish village in 1942 — to the great surprise of everyone there. When Nazi soldiers come to take the villagers away, only Hannah knows about the atrocities that they are about to face. While Publisher’s Weekly originally recommended the book for kids 12 and up, Liz’s fifth- grade daughter picked up this book recently, and was instantly captivated. You may also have heard of it from the 1999 Devil’s Arithmetic film adaptation starring Kirsten Dunst — but the original book is far better. Start there. (Recommended Ages: 9-14)

Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust by Loic Dauvillier Written in graphic novel format and filled with Mare Lizano’s lovely, accessible illustrations, Dauvillier has created a perfect introductory book about the Holocaust for younger readers. In it, a grandmother describes her early life in Paris to her granddaughter, and how friends and neighbors hid her away when her parents were taken to concentration camps. Her riveting story — which she had never shared even with her own child — brings the two generations closer. (Recommended Ages: 6-10)

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr One of the reasons this book is so impactful is that it’s based on author Judith Kerr’s actual experience. In fact, this autobiographical novel been a must-read in the United Kingdom for more than 40 years and it’s just as relevant and readable today. In the book, a young girl struggles to understand where her father has gone, why Germany is no longer safe for her Jewish family, and why she must leave everything behind — themes that any child can relate to in any era. (Recommended Ages: 8-12) Related: 8 must-read books for tweens and teens who want to stay woke

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne This newer classic holocaust book for YA readers by Irish writer John Boyne was an instant critical success when it was published ten years ago. It’s the story of 9-year-old Bruno in 1942, who returns to his home in Berlin to discover he has to move to a strange place for his father’s work. His father will run some sort of place with a barbed wire fence, soldiers, and lots of skinny, dirty workers wearing striped pajamas. He thinks the place is called “Out With.” Eventually, he befriends a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence. It’s a fresh perspective to introduce the Holocaust to older kids, considering the protagonist is a non-Jewish son of a Concentration Camp leader. And while a lot about the story is suspenseful and horrifying, it’s also remarkably charming and relatable. (Recommended Ages 12 and up)

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman Spiegelman’s Maus was first published in 1986 and has become not only one of the most lauded Holocaust books of all time, but one of the most lauded graphic novels of all time. Notably (as you might tell from the title and the cover), all of the Jewish characters are depicted as mice, with the Nazis represented by cats. The riveting, haunting story revolves around a young cartoonist who interviews his father in an effort to come to terms with his life as a Holocaust survivor. So Maus is essentially a story within a story — it’s the story of a Jewish man in Poland before World War II who was sent to Auschwitz, and at the same time it’s about the connection of father and son. The format will easily engage kids who may not be immediately interested in the subject of the Holocaust; and yet it’s so appealing, even to those who normally don’t like graphic novels, that there’s a reason it’s endured for now more than three decades. (Recommended Ages: 12 and Up)

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Of course we’d be remiss if we didn’t include the classic diary of Anne Frank on our list of holocaust books for kids. In fact, it’s received a lot of renewed interest by YA fans over the past few years, because of the Anne Frank House references in John Green’s amazing novel (and film), The Fault in Our Stars. 13-year-old Anne’s extraordinary, day-to-day account describes her two years in hiding with her Jewish family in a secret attic annex of an office, thanks to the protection of a group of brave Dutch resisters of the Nazi regime, ending with her family’s eventual capture and arrest. The story remains as riveting, poignant, witty, hopeful, and horrible as ever — and this 2008 “definitive edition” includes additional pages that had originally been deleted by her father on original publication. Children as young as about fourth grade should be able to read it but it’s the kind of book everyone should read multiple times through your life. (Recommended Ages: 9 – Adult) https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2018/04/13/best-holocaust-books-for-kids/

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Otto

Otto – The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear. This children’s classic is a powerful and beautiful book told first-hand by Otto, a German-born teddy bear who is separated from his Jewish owner, lives through World War II, and is reunited with his original owner 50 years later.

His first memories are of being stitched together and being given to David, a Jewish boy living in Germany before WWII. David and his best-friend Oskar always play with Otto, using him for pranks, games and even teaching him to type on a typewriter. Life is a lot of fun for the Otto.

However, one day, David starts to wear a yellow star on his jacket. He and his parents are soon carted away by men in leather coats and uniforms. David decides to give his dear teddy bear to Oskar. Many lonely days pass for Oskar and Otto. But even gloomier days soon arrive when Osakar’s father is drafted into the army and the bombings start.

One day, a sudden explosion sends Otto flying through the air and into the middle a raging battle-field. The teddy bear is spotted by a soldier, but the moment the soldier picks Otto up, they are both shot through the chest. Otto and the soldier, an American G.I., are taken away to a hospital. In hospital, the soldier keeps Otto by his side. When he recovers, he pins a medal on Otto’s chest, saying that Otto saved his life, taking the brunt of the bullet. The story makes papers and Otto becomes a mascot of the soldier’s regiment. The teddy bear is then taken to America and is given to a sweet girl called Jasmin, the soldier’s daughter.

But Otto’s new home and happiness is once again brutally ended when he is snatched away by mean and violent street urchins, who hit and trample on him and throw him into a bin. Otto is then picked up by an antiques dealer and taken to his shop.

Years and years go by, until one rainy evening, when a bulky man stops and carefully examines the shop window. The man recognizes the bear instantly buys him. It is Oskar, Otto’s old friend. The story of Oskar, a German tourist and survivor of the war finding his teddy bear in America soon makes the papers. And the day after Otto’s picture appears in the paper, Oskar’s telephone rings: it is his old friend David. And so, the three friends finally reunite, sharing the sorrows and pains of war and living a peaceful and happy life together. Otto now keeps himself busy, typing the story of his life on David’s typewriter.

Children will become attached to this loving, innocent protagonist, and will naturally be interested in his life story. Tomi Ungerer deals with one of the darkest chapters of history and pulls off the challenge admirably. This tale will prompt reflection and important questions without causing undue fear.

Listen to story here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWKn1j1mfxQ

Interview with Tomi Ungerer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQMz33ibVAQ

Lesson Plan https://literarycurriculum.co.uk/

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Pictures from the book

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Guidelines for delivering Holocaust and genocide education on Holocaust Memorial Day

About HMDT and HMD Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide. We promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) – the international day on 27 January to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed under Nazi Persecution and in genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. 27 January marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. Education resources hmd.org.uk/schools Teaching challenges We provide support and resources for educators to mark Holocaust Memorial Day The most common challenges teachers with their students. All resources include face in delivering this material are a historical information about the Holocaust lack of time, and a lack of confidence in and genocides, the testimony of those their own knowledge of the subject. Our affected, and highlight the contemporary relevance of learning about prejudice and resources aim to support teachers with taking action today. We encourage schools varying levels of experience of teaching to take a cross-curricular approach, and think about these topics, through detailed lesson creatively about HMD. plans, assemblies, activities and projects that provide everything they will need. All of our resources focus on putting survivors Background information sheets are and victims at the heart of HMD, ensuring that available to help teachers answer student students are learning about the people behind questions. We aim to instil confidence in the statistics, and restoring their identity teachers to take the lead on engaging and back to those whom the perpetrators tried motivating sessions. HMDT’s Education to dehumanise. We also try and ensure that Officer is available to answer questions people understand the ways a genocide was and discuss plans, and can be contacted able to happen, so we can think about how on [email protected]. genocide can be stopped in the future.

Page 1 of 10 Our guidelines This document provides a starting point for teachers, and provides guidance for teaching this subject. These guidelines have been developed in consultation with teachers, survivors and Holocaust and genocide education specialists. As Holocaust Memorial Day falls in January this can be used as an additional time in the year to learn about the Holocaust and genocide. This could be alongside the History curriculum, with a broad range of teachers delivering content. These guidelines and the HMDT education resources aim to ensure that the learning on HMD is meaningful, and supports what students study through the History curriculum. For more guidance on Holocaust education, please see the other signposted resources. Contents • General guidelines - page 2 Holocaust education recommendations are • Use of images - page 3 also available from: • Use of language - page 4 • How much time will it take? - page 5 • The International Holocaust • Dealing with difficult questions - page 5 Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) • Contemporary relevance - page 5 • Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust • Use of life stories - page 6 Remembrance Center • Use of fiction - page 7 • The United States Holocaust • Creative subjects - page 8 Memorial Museum • Primary school specific notes - page 9 • The Holocaust Educational Trust • SEN specific notes - page 9

General guidelines

The Holocaust can be a complex and daunting subject to teach and may distress students unless handled sensitively. In order to ensure teachers are suitably supported, you could hold a staff meeting in advance to talk through these guidelines and agree on the approach that all teachers will take to the subject. We recommend that you contact parents in advance so they are aware that the topic is being covered, and students may come home wishing to talk about what they have learned. Our resources may explore the Holocaust and other genocides together. We are careful to guide students to look at the events side by side, and avoid unhelpful comparisons. HMDT believes that all students have a right to access Holocaust and genocide education, in a way that is appropriate for them. We therefore provide resources that are suitable for different ages from Key Stage 2 (or equivalent), and differentiate the provided activities for mixed ability groups. We have some resources on our website specifically designed for students with more profound SEN requirements (hmd.org.uk/SEN). We recommend including as many students as you can in your school’s HMD commemorations, to create a school-wide conversation. HMD is for everybody. You know your students best - Please consider before teaching this topic: what are the potential challenges with this subject for your class? Is there someone in the class who has had similar experiences, or who has family members who have? If so they may need additional support.

Page 2 of 10 Do not use graphic images to shock students Research suggests that our brain reacts to violent images in way that can shut down comprehension - making it difficult for the individual to absorb information as it processes the image1. For this reason, as well as not wanting to traumatise students, we suggest avoiding graphic images. Please see the section below for more detailed notes.

Do not ask students to imagine themselves in the shoes of victims - or perpetrators We often hear of events that place students in an immersive situation, asking them to walk along train tracks, into a cramped train carriage, to squeeze into a hiding space and so on. This is not an appropriate way to teach the Holocaust: we can never truly recreate the environment and conditions that the victims found themselves in, and we should not want to put our students in that environment. Additionally, this approach does not enable students to understand the processes behind the genocide, nor the complexities involved.

Avoid simple answers to complex questions Be open with your students about the fact that the Holocaust and genocide raise difficult and complex questions about human behaviour, and that different people have different opinions, even about things such as the definition of ‘the Holocaust’. However, make it clear that the facts of the Holocaust are not open to differing views – 6 million Jews were murdered, gas chambers were built and used.

1 Dr Fiorenza Loiacono ← Back to contents

Use of images

Our resources often come with PowerPoint presentations that include images we consider to be suitable. We also provide collections of images that people can use on the HMD website. If you are making your own resources, we encourage you to read through the following guidance when deciding which images to use:

• Consider why you are using images. Know what you want the images to achieve and never use them for shock value alone. • Avoid unnecessary, repeated or inappropriate images of dead bodies or open mass graves. • Avoid using images of Holocaust or genocide victims which dehumanise individuals. • Do not use images which glamorise the Nazis. Particularly avoid images of Nazi flags, uniforms, salutes etc. Ensure that any images are used in the context of highlighting the consequences of Nazi policy. • If you have a speaker, particularly a Holocaust or genocide survivor, discuss with them the images that you are considering using. Try to avoid images that your speaker may find distressing. • Please pay close attention to the captions for each photograph – it’s important that you tell the whole story behind an image when using it. • Some photographs you find may have been taken by the Nazis themselves – share this context with your students and discuss their reasons for taking the photograph. How does it compare with photographs by targeted groups, or pictures taken secretly to document Nazi crimes? • Please do not edit or crop the images we provide and you must supply copyright information as requested.

If you’d like more advice about the suitability of a particular image for your HMD activity then please email [email protected]. ← Back to contents

Page 3 of 10 Use of language

There are often concerns about the ‘right’ language to use. Please be aware that some language that was considered acceptable historically is now considered offensive.The advice below should help teachers to feel confident in the language they are using.These are not all of the linguistic questions, but they cover some common sensitivities. Our Teacher information sheets will give you more information about each genocide marked on HMD. Nazi Persecution Genocide: 1. Roma and Sinti people were one of HMDT uses the legal definition of genocide, the groups targeted, persecuted and which you can read here. This helps people murdered by the Nazis. Historically this to understand what genocide is, and which group have been referred to as ‘Gypsies’. historical events are legally defined that way. This word has also been used as a slur in the past, so some members of the community find the word offensive. The Holocaust: ‘Roma’ and ‘Sinti’ are the correct terms. 1. There are differing definitions of the 2. Another group persecuted by the Nazis word ‘Holocaust’. At HMDT, we define was homosexual men. Nowadays it as the attempt by the Nazis and their language around this group exists that we collaborators to murder all the Jews in didn’t have before, and we are more likely Europe. Have a conversation in advance to refer to the LGBTQ community. There to ensure all teachers are using the same was a specific campaign by the Nazis definitions. against gay men, although that doesn’t 2. Look out for your students saying ‘The mean other members of this community Germans committed these crimes’. It didn’t suffer at their hands. wasn’t all German people, it was the 3. Severely mentally and physically Nazis and their collaborators, including disabled people were murdered by the people from other countries. Nazis through the ‘T4 programme’, but 3. In Poland, legislation has been recently more groups of people may have been brought in to avoid the use of the term persecuted than your students realise. ‘Polish concentration camps’. Describing From 1933 people were forcibly sterilised the camps as above makes it sounds like for ‘hereditary diseases’ including these were run by the Polish government. epilepsy and alcoholism. These camps were run by the Nazis, in Nazi-occupied Poland. The Genocide in Bosnia: In Bosnia, a genocide was committed against Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica, during a The Genocide in Rwanda: war taking place across the country. The Some survivors find the term ‘the Rwandan war included many other mass atrocities, genocide’ offensive. In 2014 the UN accepted including the use of concentration camps. a proposal from the Rwandan Government The conflict is often referred to as a ‘civil that the official wording should be ‘the war’ – although this is incorrect, due to the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda’. This targeted persecution of Muslim people, and wording change was not without reservations the involvement of Serbia and Croatia, which – whilst the Tutsis were the target group of makes it an international war. Bosnia and the genocide, and the overwhelming majority Serbia are neighbouring countries. Serbian of murders were of Tutsi people, non-Tutsis troops are often referred to as ‘Serbs’. were also killed. There is also a group known as ‘the Bosnian Serbs’, who are Bosnians with close cultural HMDT uses the wording ‘the Genocide in ties to Serbia, who wanted to form a Serbian Rwanda’. state within Bosnia. ← Back to contents Page 4 of 10 How much time will it take?

Marking HMD can easily be built into your school routine. Assemblies are provided that include a script and presentation, which can be delivered as provided, or added to with your student’s own work. Our tutor time activities are designed to fit into a 20-minute session. Each one can be delivered as a stand-alone session, or you can do a series. Our lesson plans usually fit within one lesson, although some have options for a double lesson, or to extend into a longer scheme of work.

However, you will need some planning time to familiarise yourself with our resources, and the support of your senior leadership team. You may want to schedule a meeting with other teachers to get them involved too, across different departments, form groups or year groups. ← Back to contents

Dealing with difficult questions

Our resources provide teachers with everything you will need to lead the session, including background information sheets on each genocide that teachers can have on hand to help answer historical questions. However, exploring these topics can lead to interesting and far reaching discussions, and we can never entirely predict the questions you may get.

Holocaust and genocide denial are on the rise, and students may have been exposed to some of these views online. This may mean that part of your session will include dismantling this misinformation. Discussing reliable and unreliable sources of information may help your students to navigate what they are reading online. You can also look at our 10 stages of genocide poster as a class – genocide is a process and denial is always the last stage.

Holocaust denial is a form of antisemitism (anti-Jewish racism), which has been a persistent form of prejudice for thousands of years. Recorded instances of antisemitism have increased in the UK in recent years, and HMD is an opportunity to educate your students about different forms of prejudice and hatred and how to recognise them. Our lesson plan made in partnership with Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination may be of interest.

If your students have questions about the current conflict between Israel and Palestine, we recommend you schedule a separate session to explore this. The Middle-Eastern conflict is not relevant to HMD, which focuses on the Holocaust and genocide. It is also so complicated that it can end up taking up all the time in a lesson, meaning your students miss out on their Holocaust and genocide education. If you would like to deliver a session on this conflict, the charity Solutions Not Sides can help with this. ← Back to contents

Contemporary relevance

HMD is an opportunity to learn about the past, consider the impact on the people affected, and think about our social responsibility today. Discussing issues of prejudice, hate, division and denial in our society is an important part of HMD.

However, it is not always appropriate to compare current problems in society to Nazi Germany. We suggest focusing on issues of people being targeted because of their identity, conflicts around the world and issues related to refugees. For example, problems such as littering,

Page 5 of 10 playground bullying, knife crime and the environment are not appropriate situations to compare with genocide.

HMD is an opportunity to commemorate and learn about those situations that are defined as genocide. However, your discussions may lead towards other conflictsaround the world, or groups that your students have heard about on the news who are being persecuted because of their identity. Exploring the 10 stages of genocide is a good way to discuss other atrocities – are the target groups at risk of genocide? Do we need to raise awareness of this in our community or with our MP? By learning about the past, we know people can be motivated to take action for a safer future.

Be aware of giving your students the facts without bias on current conflicts – these issues can be highly political. Don’t forget you may have students with family members from the countries under discussion.

It is also helpful to make these contemporary connections apparent to your students – there is a reason for us to learn about this history and hear these stories. It is important to learn and share this knowledge, and take action as a result. ← Back to contents

Use of life stories

Learning about the experiences of those affected by the Holocaust and genocides – both those murdered and those who survived, has an important role to play in teaching about these subjects. HMDT education materials include written or filmed life stories. Hearing about the experiences of individuals helps students to learn about the history and empathise with those affected. Explore our life stories at hmd.org.uk/lifestories.

We recommend teaching the historical context first, then engaging with individual experiences. Knowing the context will help students to understand the testimony, and hearing a real person’s story will illuminate the history and help them to connect with it.

Sokphal Din

Forced out of his home by the Khmer Rouge on 17 April 1975, Sokphal endured hard labour in the Killing Fields and eventually survived the Genocide in Cambodia by escaping to Thai refugee camps where he lived for seven years.

‘We knew that we’d never go back. We knew this is a lie. They just want to kill us. And we knew that we’d never see our father again. We kept hoping, but we knew that it’s impossible.’

Page 6 of 10 Whilst we encourage students to build empathy towards the individuals they are learning about, we need to consider the emotional impact this topic can have. It is valid and valuable for people to feel, for example, sad, angered or moved by testimony. On HMD we want to acknowledge those emotional reactions and mobilise them into a motivation to take action. However, we want to avoid students feeling triggered or traumatised through this learning, or over-empathising with the individual to the extent that they imagine the pain for themselves. It is helpful to encourage students to focus on what it was like for the individual, rather than on their own emotional response. For example, ‘I imagine that she felt afraid and confused’.

Survivor testimony can be found in many forms – most commonly written, filmed or in-person. The choice of medium has an impact on the information given – for example films are edited, often by a third party who may have their own agenda in terms of what parts of the story are kept. It may be helpful to draw students’ attention to this.

Survivor testimony relies on memory, which can be affected both by trauma and by time. While we would never suggest that testimonies are inaccurate, your students may want to bear in mind the particularities of a first-person source. There may be discrepancies between a historical account and a survivor’s memories for example.

An individual’s testimony only tells about their memory of what they experienced and saw – it may not include details of wider context or perpetrator ideology. There are also many different kinds of experience within any genocide – it may be helpful to look at more than one person’s testimony to understand the range of ways in which people were affected.

HMDT resources focus on the testimony of survivors, those murdered, rescuers, resisters and witnesses to genocide. However, perpetrator testimony is also available elsewhere and may be a useful addition to your genocide education when considering the decisions made by different people. If you do choose to explore this, it is important to prepare students:

• Discuss the context and motivation behind them giving testimony - It may be part of a legal trial. Are they telling the truth? • Prepare students that perpetrators may be expressing racist, violent or discriminatory views.

If you would like to try and book a survivor speaker to visit your school, please visit www.hmd.org.uk/speakers. ← Back to contents

Use of fiction

Some teachers choose to study a fictional film or book as part of their teaching about the Holocaust and genocides. This can be particularly popular when a cross-curricular approach is taken, for example History, English and Citizenship teachers working together. There are positive and negative impacts of the use of fiction to teach real historical events, so these need to be considered in your planning:

Positive – By using story-telling, fiction often engages students’ imaginations, and helps them to connect to the history in a different way. They can learn historical facts through the story, if it has been well-researched.

Negative – Some fiction is not very rigorously researched from a historical point of view. A story may be set at a time in history, but if this research is not present in the book, the fictionalisation of this event can lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings. An example of a popular fiction book that can lead to misconceptions is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. We strongly recommend that you do not use this book.

Page 7 of 10 As a result, some teachers choose not to use fiction at all – instead focusing on historical accounts and testimony. There are many that are suitable for children and young people, you can explore our life stories and easy to read life stories online. If you would like to use fiction, we recommend that you:

• Have a lesson on the historical context in advance, so students can critically engage with the story. • Discuss the fictionalisation with students – what has the author invented or changed, for what reason, and what is the impact? • You could compare the fictional story with a piece of first-person testimony.

You can find lists of recommended books on our website. ← Back to contents Creative subjects

Art, Drama, Music and Dance teachers can all engage with HMD creatively with their students. The arts provide an opportunity for students to engage with historical information and testimony in a different way, and process the emotional impact of these stories. Their artistic outputs can also help to communicate what they have learnt to parents, other students and members of the community through exhibitions and events.

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has a variety of resources that can help you teach the Holocaust in a safe setting, such as a Drama lesson that features activities pioneered by Bertolt Brecht. These help the audience to learn facts about what happened, and protect performers from trying to re-enact traumatic situations, yet still provide an interactive element. You can also look at our Rwandan Dance Tutorial, Song sheets, and Recipe cards.

However, a creative response requires a grounding in historical knowledge, a structured process and time. Ensure students have taken part in lessons and research in advance to understand the event that they are responding to. You may want to limit the scope of their exploration – they could respond to one individual’s testimony for example, or information about a particular event or place in which genocide took place.

You should be aware of avoiding:

• Oversimplification • Use of stereotypes • Representation of traumatic scenes The creative process is a learning journey for students, and should enhance their understanding of the Holocaust and genocides. The output should be a secondary consideration – even if the work produced is not shared more widely, the process is beneficial to the students.

If you do wish to present their work, think about the impact of the artistic output on the audience before presenting – for example: © Bishop Challoner School • Could this interpretation cause offense? • How would a survivor feel if they viewed this work? • What will the audience learn from viewing the work? • What information needs to be provided with the artwork to contextualise it for the audience?

← Back to contents Page 8 of 10 Primary school specific notes

We recommend using our primary school resources with Key Stage 2 students (or equivalent). These include assemblies, lesson plans and activities that introduce students to the topic in an age-appropriate way, and feature easy-to-read versions of our life stories.

Age-appropriate resources are created by focusing on:

• The experiences of children during the Holocaust and genocide • Rescue stories, such as the Kindertransport © Woodside Primary School • Themes such as home, equality and difference • Creative activities that use reading, writing and comprehension activities, and responding to what students have learnt through displays, art and presentations

You may find it helpful to think about the schemes of work leading into and following HMD, to set the day in context. For example, if students are doing a geography project, learning the stories of people from different countries on HMD can feed into this wider work.

If you would like to mark the day through a whole school approach and include the younger years, we recommend focusing with them on the issues of ‘difference’ and ‘equality’ – not introducing the topic of genocide, and involving them in a whole school artistic display. We have a range of creative ideas for school groups and others to mark HMD available through the resources section of our website. ← Back to contents

SEN specific notes

HMDT believes that all students have a right to access Holocaust and genocide education, in a way that is appropriate for them. For students with special educational needs, there is a range of ways to make Holocaust Memorial Day and genocide education accessible.

Our resources include two or three differentiated options for key activities, enabling teachers to pitch the lesson to their students’ abilities. This is particularly helpful for mixed-ability groups in mainstream education, but also make our general resources suitable for some SEN-specific settings.

HMDT also provides a selection of resources that are specifically designed for students with more profound requirements to mark the day through sensory experiences and inclusive arts activities: hmd.org.uk/SEN

HMDT has received feedback from those who teach students who struggle with understanding the needs and views of others (such as those with autism spectrum disorder). Many say that studying our life stories and working with students to write their own responses has been a very helpful project for some in building skills of empathy and communication. ← Back to contents

Page 9 of 10 © Winstanley School © Alsop High School © City Academy Hackney

Thank you for taking the time to think about your approach before marking HMD with your students. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss your plans, please contact the Education Officer [email protected] .

Please let us know about your school’s HMD activity – big or small. It is really helpful for us to measure the reach and impact of HMD in schools across the UK, and to continue to improve our offer for educators: hmd.org.uk/letusknow

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Find out more... Holocaust Memorial Day Trust: hmd.org.uk Discover resources for educators and other materials for your activities: hmd.org.uk/resources hmd.org.uk @hmd_uk [email protected] hmd.uk 020 7785 7029 Learning from genocide - for a better future Primary School Lesson Plan for Holocaust Memorial Day

Learning Objectives: These activities are designed to encourage your pupils to think about memory and memories, why we need to remember and how and what we remember, to tie in with Holocaust Memorial Day. These resources are intended for teachers to use with pupils in Key Stage 2. We hope that there will be something for everyone in the range provided. Due to the vast breadth of development in primary aged pupils, we have provided a number of activities, and will leave it to the teacher’s discretion to select an appropriate activity for their pupils. As the Holocaust is not a focus until Year 6, we are focusing on Holocaust Memorial Day as a reflective time for pupils. The lesson plan concludes with a very slight mention of the Holocaust – although this word is not used – so that this lesson plan is appropriate for your younger pupils.

Activity one: Memory game

This activity will help your pupils by testing their memory skills. Lay out lots of different items that your pupils will be familiar with and that you can access easily. This could include, for example:

• Writing implements • A rubber duck • Some money • Teddy bear • A fork • A backpack • Sandwiches • A watch • An apple • A telephone • A pair of shoes • A book

Give your pupils some time to walk around the table, and let them know that they need to try to remember as many items as they can. Once they have had a good look, cover up the items with a cloth and ask them to write down as many as they can remember. Ask the pupils to name the items they wrote down – it will be interesting to see which items were remembered by everyone and which by no-one. Discuss with the pupils why they remembered certain items and why other items were not remembered. If you have the time, you could repeat this activity but this time work with your pupils to create a story involving all the items on the table – for example, teddy went on holiday and he had to pack his backpack. He was going on a long journey so packed sandwiches and an apple to eat on the way… this method is likely to help the children remember more items, so once you have all created your story, ask the pupils to write a new list and see how many they remember this time. If they do remember more items, ask them why they think they were able to remember more.

Page 1 of 3 Activity two: Forgotten keys

This activity will help pupils consider why it is important to remember. Hold up a set of keys. Ask the pupils if they know what they are and what they are used for; prompt them if necessary. Hopefully they will say car keys, house keys, maybe even school keys, and they will know that they are used to open and unlock doors. Ask your pupils what will happen if you forget your keys, ensuring that they explore all the options, some of which are pictured below. For younger children, you could just choose one set of keys and follow this through. For an extra challenge, examine all three sets of keys.

Car Key: House Key: School Key:

You won’t be No one will be You won’t be able able to get into able to get into to drive your car your home the school

Everyone will You have to wait You have to take have to wait outside (maybe in the bus home outside (maybe the cold/rain) in the cold/rain)

A garage has to You have to call An emergency come and collect an emergency locksmith would your car and locksmith to get need to come and replace the key new keys make new keys

You have to pay You have to pay You have to pay the garage the locksmith the locksmith

Aside from highlighting that forgetting your keys can be expensive, hopefully this exercise will demonstrate to your pupils why it is important to remember items. You can do the same exercise with a forgotten purse or wallet as well or instead.

Page 2 of 3 Activity three: Remembering

This activity will focus on things that we want to remember, both happy occasions and sad ones. You may wish to just focus on the happy occasions if your students are younger. Ask your students if they ever countdown to an event and if so, what event? They may say a birthday, or a wedding, or a religious event such as Christmas. Try to get as many different events as possible. Ask them to try to think about why they countdown to the event – you could create a visual picture on a board or piece of flipchart paper recording their responses.

For an extra challenge Creative activity You could encourage your students to think Your students should each pick an important about other ways of remembering significant date and create a reminder for that date. events or dates – ask them how they The reminder could be as a calendar remember. or a countdown. Do they have a calendar or a diary, for For an extra challenge, your students example? Do they set a reminder in their could create an advent-type calendar phone? Do they rely on other people to remind with the countdown information behind them? Do they tie a knot in their handkerchief? a window. Does it matter which means we use to remember things?

Try to encourage them to think about what the point of the countdown is – it is a way of remembering - so why are we remembering? Hopefully they will indicate positive sentiments – they are looking forward to celebrating, to seeing family, to sharing good times etc. You could now introduce remembering sad things; please only do this if you know your students well; this activity may be best suited to older students. The purpose is not to upset them, rather it is to think about why we are remembering and who we are remembering. Ask your class what sad things they remember. If they mention family members who they have lost, try to turn it around and ask what nice things they remember – and how do we remember them – do they have photos in their house, for example. Plenary

We are lucky to live in a community with people from all over the world – if this is particularly relevant to your community you could highlight that you share your community with people from different places. Each and every one of us is completely unique and we should celebrate the differences. However, years ago people who were different found themselves in trouble. Other people would attack them and some of the people who were different were murdered. We do not want to forget these people, we want to keep their memory alive and so each year, on Holocaust Memorial Day, we remember them. We can light a candle for them, and we can be quiet for a minute, to show them that we remember them.

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Discover resources for educators and other materials Find out more... for your activities: hmd.org.uk/resources hmd.org.uk @hmd_uk [email protected] hmd.uk 020 7785 7029 Page 3 of 3 Learning from genocide - for a better future Holocaust Memorial Day genocide film screening and discussion

A film screening and discussion is an engaging way to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) with your group, suitable for a wide range of ages and interests. You could combine this with a minute of silence or a candle lighting as an act of remembrance. This resource is designed for those leading the film screening and we recommend it is not shared with other members of the group as it contains details of the films’ plots. This resource has suggestions for a number of films which explore the experiences of those persecuted and murdered as a result of the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. If you would like to watch a film based on the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution, you can find the information you need in our other film club guide here. All of these films have been chosen because they are widely accessible on DVD and streaming services. Films may also be available to loan from your local library. Your group may choose to watch the film together, either on a big screen or at a cinema if possible, or through an online platform such as zoom, and then discuss it immediately after the screening. Alternatively, they may wish to watch the film individually at a time or place convenient to them and schedule a later session to come together for the discussion.

The length of time your activity will take will vary depending on the length of the film you choose. We would suggest between half an hour, for groups including younger audiences, to an hour of discussion time for adult audiences.

Background context

Genocides have taken place around the world since the Holocaust. For more information on what genocide is, and how the term came to be legally defined, see this page on our website. Films can be useful for finding out more about, and discussing the impact of, genocide.You can learn more about the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution, and the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur on our website. It may be helpful for members to read through the information about the genocide the film focuses on after finishing the film, or prior to your discussion. We all have a responsibility to challenge discrimination and prejudice in society, whenever we see or hear it taking place. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable and we cannot be complacent. That is why we learn and remember on Holocaust Memorial Day. Some suggested questions are provided below to help start a discussion following the film screening for both adult and younger audiences.

Page 1 of 6 Discussion questions

Questions for adult audiences

• What do we learn about the Holocaust/genocide through this film? Is it informative enough? What issues might there be using fictional stories to portray a real genocide? • Alternatively, in a documentary, what issues might there be when using footage/images of a genocide, for viewers, and for victims and survivors? • What parts of the film did you find memorable? Why? • Consider if the film subverted your expectations, or fitted them. Were there major turning points or unexpected twists in the plot and characterisation? • Are there any recurring motifs – either visual, musical or thematic, for example, which contribute to the narrative and emotional impact of the film/documentary? How does this build throughout the film/ documentary? • How did the film’s editing and cinematographic choices contribute to its treatment of the moral or ethical issues raised in the story? What are your opinions on the issues the film raises? • What motivated the characters in the film? What points of view did the camera show and why do you think this was? • Alternatively, why do you think the documentary makers chose to interview or follow the individuals they did? Why do you think they structured the documentary interviews in the way they did? • Have you been inspired to learn more or take an action as a result of seeing this film/documentary?

Questions for younger audiences

• What do we learn about genocide through this film/documentary? • Why is it important to learn about these events? • What parts of the film/documentary did you find memorable? Why? • What moral or ethical issues were raised by the film/documentary? • What are your opinions on these issues?

Page 2 of 6 • What does this film actually tell us about the genocide it is set in? Is it informative enough? • Why do you think this film was made, using a fictional story, instead of a documentary based only on the facts? • Alternatively, why do you think the documentary makers chose to focus on the people and events shown in the documentary? Did they have a purpose? • How were people shown doing awful things? • How were people shown to be doing good? • Why did these people make decisions to do good? Or decisions to do terrible things? • Why do you think the filmmakers wanted to include their moral choices in the film? • How have you been inspired to learn more or take an action as a result of seeing this film/documentary?

Once your group have finished their discussion, you could conclude your HMD activity with a minute of silence, a candle lighting, or reading a poem aloud as an act of remembrance. There are many other options, and you can find out more about these on our website’s resources section.

Page 3 of 6 Film list

Film title and Available Genocide Synopsis certification formats

Cambodia First They Killed Directed by Angelina Jolie, this film Available on My Father (15) follows the story of Loung Ung, who Netflix and DVD was 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia. Her family are forced from their home with the rest of the population, and endure forced labour, being trained as child soldiers, and the constant threat of death.

Cambodia The Killing The Killing Fields is a film adaption of an Available on Fields (15) eye witness testimony of an American intofilm.org for journalist covering the civil war in free for teachers Cambodia during the time of the Khmer and schools. Rouge’s rise to power. Available to stream on Amazon Prime, and on DVD

Rwanda Sometimes in The story follows two Hutu brothers – DVD available April (15) Augustine and Honore – . between the events of genocide in 1994, and April 2004, when Augustin is invited by his brother, Honoré Butera, to visit him as he stands trial for his involvement in the genocide. The film shows the attitudes and circumstances leading up to the start of the genocide, the stories of people struggling to survive, and the aftermath as people try to find justice and reconciliation.

Page 4 of 6 Rwanda Shooting Dogs Shooting Dogs is based on the Available on (15) true story of a Catholic Priest who intofilm.org for sheltered over 2,500 Tutsis in the free for teachers Ecole Technique Officielle during the and schools. Genocide in Rwanda. The film also DVD available looks at international responses to the genocide, including the evacuation of foreign nationals who had also sought refuge in the school, and the recall of UN personnel despite the ongoing atrocities.

Bosnia In the Land Set in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, DVD available of Blood and the film follows the story of a Bosnian Honey (15) Serb soldier and his former lover, a Bosnian Muslim held in a prison camp.

Bosnia A Cry From the This BBC documentary is a harrowing Freely available Grave (unrated, account of the Srebrenica massacre. here 16+ suggested) The film begins with an eerie extended clip of a tourism video, depicting a peaceful, scenic Srebrenica that saw visitors flock from all over Europe. It shares accounts from survivors, alongside the testimonies from the Dutch peacekeepers and government officials. Contains potentially distressing footage and images taken during and post genocide.

Darfur The Devil Came A documentary style film adaptation of Available to rent/ on Horseback former US marine Brian Steidle’s book. buy on iTunes (18+) Steidle discusses his experiences in Sudan during the genocide in Darfur. Although his role was that of an observer, Steidle chose to record the horrific events he witnessed through photography to show the world what was happening in Sudan. Contains distressing images and footage recorded during the genocide.

Darfur The Lost Boys of This documentary follows two boys, Freely available Sudan (unrated Peter and Santino, refugees from Darfur, here but suitable for through their first year in America. ages 12+)

Page 5 of 6 What next

If you found it useful watching these films for HMD, why not explore our other HMD Together resources, which include:

• You may want to choose a different film to screen, or hold a second film screening and discussion. We have produced a separate HMD film screening guide for films about the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution here.

• Hosting a book club for HMD – your group may find it particularly interesting to read books from the same period as the film you chose, and compare the two.

• Writing a poem with your group for HMD

• Creating a group artwork for HMD

Let us know about your activity by adding it to our activity map: hmd.org.uk/letusknow

@HMD_UK HMD.UK

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Find out more... Holocaust Memorial Day Trust: hmd.org.uk Discover resources for educators and other materials for your activities: hmd.org.uk/resources

hmd.org.uk @hmd_uk [email protected] hmd.uk 020 7785 7029 Learning from genocide - for a better future A page from Anne Frank’s first diary ‘So why did they go into hiding?’ Anne Frank in her historical and social context

Darius Jackson

Introduction and rationale context, and if we are to understand her brilliance All too often Anne Frank becomes a symbol: there is a we need to look beyond the simplistic clichés that rose, an asteroid, a stage play and a musical all named are associated with her. We should look at the life of after her, as well as a rock album recorded in her this girl whose family left Germany as refugees, to honour and numerous biographies written for children live in Amsterdam; who worked hard at being Dutch, of various ages. She is used to show ‘the triumph of addressing her diary to Kitty, a character from a hope over evil’, even though she was killed during famous Dutch children’s novel. We need to see the the Holocaust (she died from the horrific conditions in importance of her father Otto: he planned their move Bergen-Belsen). Sometimes she is quoted utterly out from Frankfurt to Amsterdam and then later the of context to provide uplifting sentiments, or short preparations for their hiding place on Prinsengracht. phrases with redemptive messages. This lesson explores the events of Anne’s life as well as the events in Nazi Germany and in the What this lesson sets out to do is to show that Anne occupied Netherlands to show the real world in which Frank was a real teenage girl in a real historical Anne lived.

26 Primary History 79 Summer 2018 Historical Association Key Stage 2

Curriculum links There are a number of important curriculum links that Box A come out of studying Anne Frank. Clearly by putting her diary in a historical context there is an overlap Questions generated by the three Year 3 between English and history, in that this diary was classes from Oak Hill First School in Redditch written during World War II and is full of references to during the piloting of this material. In the war. However there is also a complex geography here too: she was born in Germany but her diary was discussions it was agreed by the pupils that written in Amsterdam; she was sent to Auschwitz in questions about biscuits and volleyball were Poland but died in a camp in Germany. interesting not really very important.

It is important to get the pupils to work together, All three classes armed with sugar paper and marker pens. They will generate their own questions and then explore the materials to attempt to answer them. This will support • Who is Margot? their speaking and listening skills as well as build their • What is a call-up notice? confidence in using the technical language of history. It also requires them to define terms like refugee • What is ‘a dreadful fate’? and migrant that relate to population movement in • Why are they going into hiding? geography. • Why did they move to the Netherlands/ Constructing a timeline also supports the application Amsterdam? of number lines from maths to a different subject. Two classes The lesson There are five stages in the lesson, though some of • Why are they moving their furniture? these can be combined towards the end. • Why did they want to take the Jews away? Stage One – Introducing the diary and generating the questions Single classes Use the three extracts from Anne Frank’s diary. These have been selected to show three key moments early • Who has agreed they will go into hiding? in the story: 14 June as this was about her birthday, presenting an innocent happy scene, 9 July the day the • What would happen if they didn’t hide? family went into hiding, and 19 November as this gives • What is ‘being moved forward’? an idea of what was happening and what the Franks were trying to avoid. • How did they leave Germany? • How did she feel on the 9 July? The pupils read these quotes and discuss what is going • Where are they putting their furniture? on and what more do they want or need to know. These questions will vary from ones we cannot answer • Where could they hide? such as ‘What biscuits did she take in to school?’ or • Where are they? ‘Why volleyball?’ to ones that are demanding more knowledge ‘Who was Margot?’ or ‘What is a call-up notice?’ Some questions will need more expansive answers such as ‘Why were they going into hiding?’ or well as her parents’ marriage and the publication of ‘Why did they move to the Netherlands?’ (A sample of her diary. As they sequence these they see which of questions is in box A.) their questions they can now answer and whether there are any more questions that have arisen or It is useful to discuss the various questions the groups aspects of this story that surprise them. The most have come up with and agree on a class set of common question to arise is ‘Why would the Frank questions. To do this they will talk about what makes family leave Germany?’ some questions more important to answer than others and they will see that history is a process of enquiry Stage Three – Treatment of the Jews in rather than a body of knowledge. the Netherlands The second set of cards (green) are inserted in the Stage Two – Anne Frank’s life sequence. Once again the pupils look to see if there is The pupils, still in their groups, sequence the 13 blue any information that helps them to answer questions cards. These give an overview of Anne Frank’s life as or if there are any new questions that arise here.

Primary History 79 Summer 2018 Historical Association 27 Stage Four – a wider context Anne Frank (1997) The Diary of a The students repeat the activity with the cream- coloured cards. This set refers to the Nazis coming Young Girl, Penguin to power in Germany and to the liberation of the Netherlands. This is where the pupils start to formulate Extract A an explanation for Otto and Edith Frank’s decision Sunday 14 June 1942 to move away from their home city of Frankfurt and ‘On Friday, 12 June, I was awake at six o’clock, which isn’t start a new life in Amsterdam. There is a danger here surprising, since it was my birthday. But I’m not allowed to of back-shadowing our knowledge on to the Frank get up at that hour, so I had to control my curiosity until family. While we know that in 1940 the Netherlands quarter to seven. When I couldn’t wait any longer, I went was invaded and occupied by Germany, the Frank to the dining room, where Moortje (the cat) welcomed family could not have known this in 1933. Furthermore me... [at school] during break I handed our biscuits to throughout World War I the Netherlands had been my teachers and my class...As it was my birthday, I could neutral, so it would have appeared a safe country in decide which game my classmates would play, and I chose which Jews fleeing Germany could seek refuge. volleyball. Afterwards they all danced around me in a circle and sang ‘Happy Birthday’...This morning I lay in the bath Stage Five – the response of Dutch people thinking how wonderful it would be if I had a dog...’ The final three cards (purple) show the response of the Dutch population to the persecution of the Dutch Extract B Jews. It is important to point out that these protests Thursday 9 July 1942 were met with repression: the strikes in February ‘So there we were...walking in the pouring rain, each of us 1941 led to the occupying Germans calling a State with a satchel and a shopping bag filled to the brim...only of Emergency and on 2 August 1942 Jews who had when we walked down the street did father and mother converted to Catholicism were arrested as a response reveal...what the plan was. For months we’d been moving to the letter of protest read out in churches. as much of our furniture...out of the flat as th we could. It was agreed we’d go into hiding on the 16 . Because Conclusion of Margot’s call-up notice, the plan had to be moved Here the ideas are pulled together around three forward...’ themes:

Extract C What do we now know? Why did they leave Thursday 19 November 1942 Frankfurt? Why did Otto and Edith plan to go into ‘Countless friends and acquaintances have been taken hiding? And what triggered it? What does this tell us off to a dreadful fate. Night after night, green and grey about Otto and Edith? military vehicles cruise the streets. They knock on every door, asking whether any Jews live there. If so, the whole Which of our questions can we answer from the family is immediately taken away.’ information we have collected?

Are there any elements of the story that surprise us?

28 Primary History 79 Summer 2018 Historical Association Anne Frank sorting cards

12 June 1942 1 August 1944 4 August 1944 Otto Frank moved to run a Anne Frank started writing Anne Frank wrote her last The hiding place was raided by company in Amsterdam in her diary. entry in her diary. the local police and the Gestapo. September 1933. By February The eight people hiding there 1934 he has been joined by were arrested. Edith and the two girls. Two women who had been helping them, find the diary and put it in a drawer for safe keeping.

Anne Frank’s family shared Anne Frank was born 12 June In 1925 Otto Frank and 1952 the hiding place with 4 other 1929, in Frankfurt am Main, Edith Hollander got married. The diary was published in people, also hiding because Germany. Her sister was They were both German and English, it was called The they were Jewish. 3 years older, and was also Jewish. The Frank family had Diary of a Young Girl. born in Frankfurt. been in Frankfurt am Main for hundreds of years.

Anne and her family went In 1959 a Hollywood film 5 July 1942 25 June 1947 into hiding on 9 July 1942. is made called The Diary of Margot Frank was ordered The diary was published Otto Frank had been planning Anne Frank. It is a massive to report for slave labour in in Dutch, it was called Het to do this for over a year. success. Germany. achterhuis (the back house).

Anne Frank, and her sister 6 July 1942 14 July 1942 3 May1942 Margot, died of typhus in a Jews were banned from The Jews in Amsterdam were Jews were forced to wear a prison camp in February or visiting friends who were not arrested and sent to a prison yellow star on their coats, in March 1945. Jewish. camp called Westerbork. the Netherlands. These arrests continue into the autumn.

14 September 1940 10 May 1940 15 September 1941 9 January 1942 Jews were banned from Germany invaded the Signs were put up saying Jews were banned from going to the market in Netherlands, the Dutch that Jews were banned from going to public schools. Amsterdam to buy things. surrendered 5 days later. parks, zoos, restaurants, hotels, cafes, cinemas, libraries and concerts, in the Netherlands.

Adolf Hitler and the Nazi The Nazi government in 17 September 1944 5 May 1945 party came to power in Germany immediately started Canadian soldiers invaded the The Netherlands was Germany in January 1933. making laws against the Jews Netherlands, with support liberated. who lived there. from British, Polish and American troops.

25-26 February 1941 19 April 1942 26 July 1942 Dutch people protested In all the churches in the A letter was read out about how the Dutch Jews Netherlands a letter was read protesting about the are being treated. They went out protesting about how treatment of Jews. This on strike, but soldiers forced the Jews were being treated happened in nearly all Dutch them to go back to work. by the Germans running the churches. country.

Primary History 79 Summer 2018 Historical Association 29 Why choose Anne Frank? • She can cause controversies even now; this can be • She is a famous person. Her diary has been about the content of the diary. In some parts of translated into 67 languages and sold over 31 America recent translations of her diary are banned million copies, she is a major figure in world as they include her reflections upon puberty. Some literature, there are numerous books about her people read the diary and draw optimistic messages life written for primary-age children. In their 2016 from it whilst others see it as showing how easy it research the Centre for Holocaust Education found is to crush the human spirit. that amongst Year 7 pupils ‘…the diary of Anne • The Prime Minister’s commission into Holocaust Frank was the most regularly cited book read by education advocated a spiral curriculum; by siting students.’ Anne Frank in her historic context pupils are taking • Studying Anne Frank helps children to see others the first steps on the spiral curriculum that leads to as real people. Anne was a refugee but she was growing understanding of the Holocaust. so much more. It helps the pupils see that the Jews who were persecuted and murdered under Acknowledgements the Nazis were all people with their own hopes I would like to thank the staff and pupils at Oak Hill and fears, loves and dislikes. This helps them to First School and Nunnery Wood High School for confront the nature of diversity in history. helping to pilot this material; members of the Anne • It introduces pupils to ideas of migration, refugees, Frank Trust for the discussions of a very early version diversity and persecution – ideas that are as of the lesson; and my colleagues at the Centre for important now as they were in the 1930s. Holocaust Education for their comments, and being • Her diary explores a range of complex and great colleagues. challenging issues, while at the same time being an accessible text. The pupils can discuss the Darius Jackson is Lecturer in Holocaust and History real ethical problem about whether we have the Education at the University College London Centre for right to read another person’s diary. They can also Holocaust Education where he teaches on CPD and explore how the diary has been edited, as the masters courses and coordinates their ITE work. translation published in 1952 is shorter than the one published 1997. Throughout I have used Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl The Definitive Edition translated by Susan Massotty published by Penguin in 1997. Resources

Clara Asscher-Pinkhof was a famous Dutch writer of children’s stories. She was Jewish and wrote a series of short stories about her Websites experiences in Amsterdam and Bergen-Belsen. These stories were published as Star Children Anne Frank Trust in 1946. They do a lot of work on human rights and education against prejudice. They have an Judith Kerr When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, this excellent Anne Frank touring display and a is a semi-autobiographical account of fleeing strong regional network. Nazi Germany written by the author of the www.annefrank.org.uk/ Mog stories and The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Centre for Holocaust Education The Netherlands during the war A research-led team based at University There are several very good books in English College London. The website includes about the Netherlands during World War II interesting research and some open access I have found these two most useful material. The 2016 report What do students Bob Moore (1997) Victims and Survivors know and understand about the Holocaust is London: Arnold excellent at revealing the ideas children have Dick van Galen Last and Rolf Wolfswinkel about the Holocaust. (1996) Anne Frank and After Amsterdam www.holocausteducation.org.uk/ University Press

The National Holocaust Centre Ilona Aronovsky ‘The life stories of refugees: Offers a range of experiences specifically Judith Kerr’ a very useful outline on how to designed for Key Stage 2 students. use Kerr’s book. It is in Primary History 75, www.nationalholocaustcentre.net/ Spring 2017

30 Primary History 79 Summer 2018 Historical Association The Veseli Family Easy to read life story

Key words Muslim: People who follow the religion of Islam. Albania: A small country north of Greece. World War Two: A large war fought in Europe from 1939 – 1945. Jewish: People who follow the religion of Judaism. Nazi Party: The group who were in power in Germany from 1933 – 1945, led by Adolf Hitler. Resistance fighters: People who disagree with what the people in power are doing, and try to stop them. The Holocaust: The attempt by the Nazis to kill all the Jews in Europe.

The Veselis and the Mandils at the Veseli home. Photograph from Yad Vashem.

Vesel and Fatima Veseli and their four children were a Muslim family from Albania. They lived in a small village in the mountains. One of the sons was called Refik. When he was 17 his parents sent him to the capital city, Tirana, to learn to be a photographer. At the same time a war was happening across Europe called World War Two. One day a new man came to work in the photography shop with Refik. His name was Moshe Mandil, and he was Jewish. He had come to Tirana with his family from another country in Europe called Yugoslavia. Moshe had to leave his home because his country was attacked by German soldiers. Germany was led by the Nazi Party. They wanted to get rid of all the Jewish people in Europe. One year after Moshe arrived, Germany took control of Albania, and lots of Nazi soldiers came to Tirana looking for Jewish people. The Nazis knew there were only 200 Jewish people living in Albania. However 1,000 more Jewish people, including the Mandil family, had secretly gone there to find safety. Refik realised his new friend was in trouble. He went home and asked his parents if the Mandil family could hide with them in the village. Straight away they said yes. Vesel came to get the Mandil family with some donkeys. They didn’t want to be caught by the soldiers, so they travelled on the donkeys at night, and hid in caves during the day. Finally they arrived at the village. A little while later, Refik’s brother Xhemal (pronounced Jeh-Mahl) brought another Jewish family who also needed to hide. Hiding two families was difficult, but theeselis V said yes again. None of their neighbours knew that the Jewish families were there. In 1944 there was a battle in the village between some Albanian resistance fighters and the Nazi soldiers. The Albanians won, and the soldiers left the village. The Mandil family were so happy! They left the Veseli’s house for the first time in a year, and went to the town square. The neighbours were shocked, asking who these people were. Moshe said proudly, ‘We are Jews!’ But the Nazis attacked the village again, and all the Jews had to hide. That night the soldiers went from door to door, searching. Both Jewish families hid in the Veseli’s house, and they all stayed silent in the dark. The Nazis thought the house was empty, and didn’t search it. They were safe. Everyone hiding in the house survived the war, thanks to the Veselis and their neighbours. The Mandils went back to Yugoslavia, and Refik went with them to keep training in photography. The Veseli and Mandil families were friends for the rest of their lives, and the Veseli family received a special award for helping the Jewish families. The Nazis tried to kill all the Jewish people in Europe. This is known as the Holocaust. By the end of the war, the Nazis had killed six million Jews. Many Jews who went to Albania were saved by Albanian people. This is because of their strong Muslim belief that it was the right thing to do.

The Holocaust: hmd.org.uk/holocaust Find out more... More information about the Veseli family: hmd.org.uk/veselifamily You can learn more about the role of Muslim rescuers on the Faith Matters website: faith-matters.org. You can read more on the Yad Vashem website: yadvashem.org. hmd.org.uk @hmd_uk [email protected] hmd.uk 020 7785 7029 Learning from genocide - for a better future Focus Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust?

Sarah Newman

aniel Goldhagen defines anti- healthy tree to suck up the life juice until the defence at the Einsatzgruppen trial Dsemitism as ‘negative beliefs and the trunk, emaciated and eaten up from stated they believed Bolshevism ‘was a emotions about Jews qua Jews.’ Nazis within, falls mouldering into decay.’ Jewish invention and was only serving believed Jews to be the source of In its Tivoli Programme, December the interests of Jewry.’1 Germany’s misfortunes, and that they 1892, the Conservative Party declared: Goldhagen writes of early Weimar must be denied German citizenship and ‘We combat the widely obtruding and days of ‘a virulent hatred of Jews that was removed from German society. Hitler decomposing Jewish influence on our assessed by public officials to be explosive... never compromised on the need to settle popular life’. In 1920...two-thirds of the student assembly what he regarded as the Jewish question. Some see Nazism as the direct of the Technical University of Hanover Nazi racial theory led to the wartime expression and implementation of endorsed the call for “students of Jewish attempt systematically to exterminate all a racism that developed 1870-1900, descent” to be excluded from the Union of Jews. built on ideas circulating in Germany German students’. The Holocaust refers to the in the last quarter of the nineteenth In 1933 Germany’s 500,000 Jews Nazi effort to achieve the systematic century. Misinterpreted Darwinism were concentrated in the professions destruction of European Jewry. led to ethnicity in science, to racialist, and in Berlin. Goldhagen provides ‘Holocaust’ is a term implying an nationalist thought, and to eugenics, details of anti-semitic violence in attempt by a modern state, an advanced the demand for a right to do away with Germany from 1933. The General industrial nation, to implement some humans so as to improve stock. Superintendant of the Kurmark Diocese genocide. Historical anti-semitism The 1930s demand to sterilise half castes of the Evangelical Church in Prussia, seems relevant to, but is not the primary in Rhineland failed as Weimar society Bishop Otto Dibelius, declared: ‘in all cause of, the Holocaust, though some was liberal and democratic. Nazis ended the corrosive manifestations of modern see in anti-semitism one of the most such constraints, sterilising from 1937. civilisation Jewry plays a leading powerful propaganda weapons used by But it can be argued that a clear role.’ The American Chairman of The the Nazis to gain mass support. anti-semitic policy and systematic killing Universal Christian Council for Life and were no part of pre-1933 Germany. For Work noted: ‘colleagues of mine were Roots in German culture a long time Jews in Germany had been assured this summer in Berlin by official Goldhagen argues that ‘in the German citizens with rights, privileges representatives of the churches that the middle ages and the early modern and obligations. German Jews were [German] policy could be described as period, without question until the among the most assimilated in Europe. one of “humane extermination”’. Enlightenment, German society was In the 1914-8 war 12,000 Jews died for Richard Evans believes that ‘in 1933 thoroughly anti-semitic.’ Clearly Germany; 35,000 were decorated for military dictatorship... would certainly anti-semitism was evident in Germany bravery. By 1930 ‘mixed marriages’ have imposed severe restrictions on the during the Crusades and was clearly were not uncommon, at least 6000 Jews Jews. But it is unlikely, on balance, that a voiced by Martin Luther, so both Roman having non-Jewish wives. military dictatorship in Germany would Catholics and Lutherans there were Nonetheless, since Germany’s defeat have launched the kind of programme affected by it. In the Middle Ages Jews in 1918 was regarded by the Right in that found its culmination in the gas were seen as ‘Christ-killers’, as rejecters Germany as due to a stab in the back, chambers of Auschwitz and Treblinka.’ of the truth and agents of the devil, and, disloyalty at home, much of the blame Geoffrey Eley suggests Nazism ‘was being allowed neither to own land nor was heaped on the Jews. Following more extreme in every way’ than the to join the guilds that would have given defeat in war and the 1917 Revolution traditional German political rightwing. them a trade, engaged in unpopular in Russia, with its echoes in Hungary It should be remembered that Hitler occupations such as money-lending. and in Berlin, in the inter-war years the was an Austrian, influenced by the By the nineteenth century Right in Germany feared social upheaval theories of Jorg Lanz von Liebenfels, and nationalism provided more reasons and revolution; the presence of Jews in that anti-Semitism was rife in Austria. for disliking those seen as aliens Russia’s government and in many left- It was due to the economic collapse in Germany. In 1847 a Volkish wing parties encouraged the idea that in Germany following the Wall Street polemist described Jews as ‘the eternal Jews were revolutionaries. A Resolution Crash that the Nazis made their election thoroughbred of foreignness’. The of the German Workers’ Party, 30 breakthrough in September 1933, their Jews, then some 1% of the German January 1919, read, ‘The Jews and their anti-semitism had not aided them in population, were ‘a rapidly growing helpers are responsible for the loss of the previous elections any more than it was parasitic plant that winds round the still war’. At Nuremberg the legal brief for the reason for their gaining power in 1933.

The Historian / Summer 2010 15 Nazi aims one looks, one sees Jews. It is a scandal which portrayed the archetypal Jew Fanatic opposition to Jews was an that the German workers... let themselves as a suave, pot-bellied and shifty-eyed intrinsic part of Nazi ideology which be so harried by the Jews... the Jew has city type posing beside gargantuan dehumanised those not seen to belong money in his hands. The Jew sits in the moneybags. Alternately he was to a superior majority. Nazis argued that government and swindles... Germans, be depicted as a long-bearded sunken- the danger arising from evil – perverted united and fight against the Jews.’ eyed scarecrow of a man who inspired Jews sprang not from their economic Point 4 of the 1925 declaration of fear and revulsion. The soundtrack role or tendency to live as a closed National Socialism stated: ‘None but spat the film-maker’s contempt into social group, but to their very identity, members of the nation may be members the classrooom: “The Jews are eyesores their tainted Jewish blood. In August of the State. None but those of German on the German landscape, boils on the 1920 a poster of the founder of the blood... may be members of the nation. back of the German people, a subhuman German Workers’ Party, Anton Drexler, No Jew, therefore, may be a member of species comparable only to rats!” A voice proclaimed: the nation.’ seething with chilling hatred: “They The Nazi victory in 1933 was must be eradicated.”’ We fight the Jew...we fight him as celebrated with attacks on Jews; on This racial education fell on fertile an alien race not because he is not 1 April 1933 the Nazis proclaimed a ground: Melita Maschmann, in the girls’ German, but because he pretends to be day-long general boycott of Jewish division of the Hitler Youth, saw Jews as German... We fight his activity as the shops. That month Jews were deprived an ‘active force for evil’; Kurt Mobius, radical tuberculosis of the nations. of civil and legal rights and expelled a former police battalion member, from the civil service. They began to testified: ‘I believed the propaganda that To the Nazis Germans were the be excluded from the economy; social all Jews were criminals and subhumans highest stratum of the Nordic-Aryan barriers against them developed. Many and that they were the cause of race, with the Jews a subhuman race were expelled from Germany. In May Germany’s decline after the First World who perpetually undermined the sound Jewish writings were burned and Jews War.’ A German doctor at Auschwitz: ‘I structure of world affairs and sought to dismissed from universities, theatres, the am a doctor... out of respect for human usurp the authority and leadership of publishing industry and the press. life, I would remove a gangrenous their superiors. Nazis believed Germans The Nuremberg Laws, on citizenship appendix from a diseased body. The Jew must wage uncompromising struggle and race, decreed in September 1935 that is the gangrenous appendix in the body for their heritage, primacy, power. only persons ‘of German blood’ could of mankind.’ Liberalism, democracy and socialism be citizens of the Reich; those ‘of impure In October 1938 passports held by were seen as destructive Jewish notions, blood’, non-Aryans, were subjects, not Jews were invalidated; new ones were aiming to eradicate all that was right; citizens. The Law for the Protection of stamped with the capital J. That year they preferred concepts which glorified German Blood and Honour forbade Jews of Polish origin were expelled en strength and beauty and invested the marriage and sexual intercourse between masse; in revenge Grynszpan, a Jew, preordained race with wealth, power, Jews and ‘bearers of German blood’, and shot Ernst vom Rath, third Secretary world domination. Humanity was not the employment in Jewish households of of the German Embassy in Paris. This homogenous, the human race has no German maidservants under 45. Jews were was the spark for Kristallnacht, Night of common denominator. Believing in prohibited from flying the Reich flag. Jews Broken Glass, November 9-10. SS gangs constant conflict between races, Nazis seemed defenceless, unable to prevent job destroyed many synagogues and much viewed mixed marriages as an attempt to loss and seizure of their property. Jewish property, 7,500 Jewish shops and bring about the collapse of the superior Education was the key to businesses were looted; 20,000 Jews were race from within. Hitler’s insistence strengthening German anti-semitism. arrested, 10,000 sent to concentration on a state of ‘racial war’ in which no An order from the Reich Minister of camps, 91 killed; German Jews were compromise was possible helped to create Education, Dr Rust, January 1935 ran: fined a billion marks. the background for the final solution. ‘Teachers are to instruct their pupils Kristallnacht took place in public: Jews were the enemy, their murder in the nature, causes and effects of that there was little hostile reaction among the aims for which the ‘war’ all racial problems, to bring home showed the regime the majority was was waged. The central political will to them the importance of race... to neither able nor willing to oppose Nazi for mass extermination developed in awaken... the will to cooperate in the policy to Jews; the population remained Hitler’s Germany. Nazism is often called racial purification of the German stock. passive, church representatives silent. On Hitlerism: he exemplified Austrian Racial instruction is to begin with the 12 November Goering commented to anti-semitism. Hitler built on Christian youngest pupils, in accordance with the Heydrich: ‘I wish you had killed 200 Jews and ethnic anti-semitism. Believing in desire of the Führer that “no boy or girl instead of destroying so many valuables’. an Aryan-dominated racial hierarchy, he should leave school without complete Heydrich’s feeling was: ‘In spite of the saw Bolshevism as a ‘monstrous product knowledge of the necessity and meaning elimination of Jews from economic life, of the Jews.’ Intentionalists claim Hitler of blood purity.”’ The Model Course the main problem remains, namely, wanted the final solution from the time of for Contemporary German History as to kick the Jews out of Germany’. The Mein Kampf, setting about the systematic recommended by the Nazi Educator for British Consul in Germany notified Lord murder of Jews as soon as he could. senior secondary children devoted half Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, that a its programme to the Jews. A schoolgirl senior member of Hitler’s Chancellery Nazism and the Holocaust remembers: ‘A new subject, the science ‘made it clear that Germany intended to The anti-semitic basis to Nazi beliefs of the Races was introduced’. get rid of her Jews’. gradually took effect and culminated in Marianne Mackinnon writes on That December General von Fritsch the Holocaust. wartime education: ‘A special period wrote: ‘Soon after the war I came to the A German Workers’ Party local dealt with the role the Jews had played conclusion that we should have to be secretary described one of Hitler’s first in the German economy, and the threat victorious in three battles if Germany speeches in 1919: ‘The lecturer gave a they presented to the master race. To were to become great again... the one talk on Jewry. He showed that wherever back up the lecture, a film was shown against the Jews is the most important.’

16 The Historian / Summer 2010 As Hitler put it: ‘Countless illnesses are caused by one bacillus, the Jews... we will become healthy when we eliminate the Jews’, a statement echoed by the top civil administrator of the Lodz district, Friedrich Ubelhor in December 1939: ‘The final goal... must be that we burn out this bubonic plague utterly.’ In March 1938 the Germans took Austria: Viennese Jews were maltreated; attitudes and behaviour there seemed worse than in Germany. Eichmann moved to Vienna. In January 1939 Hitler commented to the Czech foreign minister, Chvalkovsky, 21 January 1939: ‘With us the Jews will be destroyed’. Hungarian Jews on selection ramp, at Auschwitz II-Birkenau, May 1944. Even then the preferred solution seemed To be sent to the right meant labour; to the left, the gas chambers. emigration; in 1938 over 78,000 left, Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) the total exit by September 1939 came to 247,000. By 1938 Hitler and Göring Members of the Sonderkommando burning corpses on pyres in pits in 1944. Auschwitz had decided war would lead to major II-Birkenau. This is one of the photographs taken illegally by Auschwitz prisoners and smuggled out of the camp by the Polish underground. The Sonderkommando were reckoning with Jews. This, the bedrock special squads composed of Jewish inmates and Russian prisoners who were forced to of Hitler’s thinking, was expressed in work in and around the gas chambers and crematoria in the summer of 1944. both Mein Kampf and the Second Book. In March 1939 the Germans took rump Czechoslovakia. After the invasion of Poland the Nazis planned ‘a Jewish reservation’ first in East Poland, then after the summer of 1940 on Madagascar, and, after late 1941, in Soviet territories. Anti-semitic policies developed through stigmatisation, degradation, emigration, re-settlement to genocide, implemented from 1941. Once war began foreign opinion was of no concern; conquest made the Jewish problem larger and caused more bloodshed: radicals came to dominate over moderates. With the war, the Nazis shifted from persecuting to murdering Jews. Hans Frank, the German Governor of Poland, commented in November 1939: ‘It’s time to get to grips with the Jewish race at last. The more that die the better.’ Felix Kersten, Hitler’s masseur, says he got the idea for genocide in summer shooting Jewish civilians in newly the decision to build an extermination of 1940; although Broszat [Hitler and occupied zones, by the end of 1941 camp, Belzec, near Lublin. That month the genesis of the final solution] believes these had killed over 500,000 Jews, the German army in Serbia began that, before Operation Barbarossa, Nazis some as early as July, others in the the systematic murder of Jewish men. planned to resettle Jews in Madagascar autumn. Actual orders were not given Around Lodz Jews were murdered in gas or Siberia. Hitler told Goebbels this till July 1941, when Germany looked wagons from October; after December in August 1941, so not all follow like gaining a swift victory. On 31 July a gas station was available in Chelmno. Goldhagen in seeing Einsatzgrupppen as 1941 Goering authorised Heydrich to The Nazis prepared plans for gas necessarily agents of genocide. prepare ‘the complete solution to the chambers near Minsk and in Riga. It can be argued genocide plans Jewish question in the German area of Local authorities began killing Jews were developed in the spring of 1941 as influence in Europe,’ eg deportation to on their own initiative in the autumn of part of Operation Barbarossa. Hitler’s Soviet territory. In September Hitler 1941; this became more radical in the comment to Hans Frank that the ordered deportation from the Reich, winter of 1941-2. Hitler had set the tone Government General will be the first first to Lodz, then to Riga and Minsk. for mass murder. On 12 December 1941 territory free of Jews, in the spring of Although Martyn Housden [University Hitler made a speech to leading party 1941, possibly indicates this. Hans of Bradford] argues that from October functionaries; Goebbels noted: ‘As far Frank’s diaries suggest annihilation 1941 mass murder was fully organised, as the Jewish question is concerned, the was possible from the spring of 1941 others say in October the Führer wanted Führer is determined to make a clean at least, and that Einsatzgruppen to reserve reprisal against German Jews sweep. He prophesied to the Jews that if were set up for this. In June 1941 ‘for the eventuality of an American entry they once again brought about a world Einsatzgruppen, police and SS, began into the war.’ In mid-October came war they would experience their own

The Historian / Summer 2010 17 Prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp, liberated 1945 National Archives and Records Administration

extermination. This was not just an General Government, started the final Einsatzgruppen. The extermination empty threat. The world war is here, the solution there as he felt most of its 2.5 policy was pursued 1941-5. From the extermination of the Jews must be the million Jews were unfit for work. The summer of 1920 Hitler was ready to necessary consequence.’ Six days later Representative for occupied Soviet exterminate physically first Russian Himmler met Hitler and noted: ‘Jewish territories also wished to kill Jews at once. Jewry, then all Jews as a threat to society. question/to be extirpated as partisans’. The Final Solution emerged from racial- The power of the Third Reich in occupied In the winter of 1941-2 Nazi authorities biological politics and local genocides. Europe determined the Holocaust, not responsible for the Jewish question began In January 1942 Auschwitz Birkenau native anti-semitism, strong though this converting the deportation plan into a was activated, first as a labour camp was, particularly in central and eastern concrete programme of murder. In the for Poles, then a Polish prisoner of Europe with its native collaborators and Goebbels diaries of 1942: ‘The Führer war camp, then a death camp for Jews: mass indifference. once more expressed his determination Hilberg believes the two prior misssions The peak years for the Holocaust to clean up the Jews in Europe pitilessly... illustrate the step by step way the were 1941-2. 4 million Jews were killed their destruction will go hand in hand Holocaust developed. Jews from West when the SS Einsatzgruppen embarked with the destruction of our enemies.’ By Europe and Slovakia were sent there. on mass slaughter in the western Soviet December 1941 Frank knew he must The German State was a killing Union between the Baltic and the Black kill Jews in Cracow: ‘As far as the Jews machine by the spring of 1942. After Sea in the rear of the military assault are concerned, I want to tell you quite May SS and civilian authorities extended on Russia. Death camps at Treblinka, frankly that they must be done away mass murders of Jews to all Poland. Belzec, Chelmo and Sobibor were the with... We must annihilate the Jews.’ In Sobibor opened. Jews were deported scene of the murder of 2 million Jews. the Government General Hitler and not to ghettos but to death, at Sobibor In 1943, the year Himmler made his ideology provided the driving force and Chelmno, and murdered in the a speech demanding the ‘liquidation behind the Holocaust. USSR. Himmler [28 July 1942] stated: of the Jewish race’, 500,000 Jews were The Wannsee Conference, ‘The occupied Eastern zones are being murdered. In 1944 400,000 Hungarian 20 January 1942, of senior civil servants cleansed of Jews. The Führer has laid Jews went to the gas chambers, the and SS functionaries, minuted by the implementation of this very difficult line from Auschwitz to Birkenau was Eichmann, determined the Final order on my shoulders.’ developed for them. Solution. Evacuation of Jews to the In efficient camps perpetrators L. Rees argues: ‘For Hitler, Hoss and East was to Heydrich a first step. did not see their victims killed, others on the Nationalistic Right the Bühler, the Representative of the Polish use of technology was easier than most urgent need was to understand why

18 The Historian / Summer 2010 Nuremberg Trial 1946. Goering, Hess, Ribbentrop, Keitel in the dock. National Archives and Records Administration

Germany had lost the First World War and Conclusion References made what they felt was such a humiliating It is hard to accept that Germans were 1 Einsatzgruppen were first organised by Himmler and Heydrich to follow the German armiies into Poland peace... the Jews had been responsible.... markedly more anti-semitic than in 1939 to kill Jews. After the invasion of Russia in the Jews with their alleged Communist others. England was the first European 1941 they were to kill Jews to help carry out the sympathies stabbbed Germany in the country to expel Jews, acting long final solution. and to kill Soviet political commissars. Their main activity was murdering civilians for racial back... the problem for Hoss was the before Spain and Portugal. In Russia, reasons. They were killing squads, ofter including “International World Jewish conspiracy” Poland and much of central and eastern many psychopaths, they would rape, torture. gas in by which he fantasised that Jews secretly specially produced vans, and bury alive, but mainly Europe, anti-semitism before 1933 killed by shooting. They could also be used against held the levers of power and sought to help seemed far worse than in Germany. It partisans. In White Russsia they killed perhaps 2 each other across national boundaries. seems that the Holocaust expressed the million Jews. They killed Jews for being Jewish. This was what he believed had led to They were responsible for mass slaughter often fundamental aims of National Socialism working with local antisemites, as in Romania. Germany’s defeat in the First World War rather more clearly than it did anti- and what he felt had to be destroyed. “As semitism in German culture. It can be a fanatical National Socialist I was firmly debated whether the original aim was to convinced that our ideal would gradually clear Germany of Jews rather than to kill Sarah Newman did research on which be accepted and would prevail throughout all Jews, but it was not difficult for the this article is based for a Rewley House the world... Jewish supremacy would thus first idea to evolve into the Holocaust. be abolished.”’ summer school. For over thirty years Otto Ohlendorf, head of Amt 111 she has taught at secondary level, of Himmler’s Central Security Office Sources including time as Head of History [R.S.H.A.] at the Nuremberg trials: Goldhagen, D. J. Hitler’s Willing and Economics at St Albans Girls’ ‘the instructions were that the Jews Executioners, Abacus, 1996 Grammar School and Head of History and the Soviet political commissars Leiser, E. A pictorial history of Nazi at Blackheath High School. Blackwells were to be liquidated... the order was Germany, Penguin, 1962 Education published two of her A level that the Jewish population should be Evans, R.J. `Hitler steps to power’ BBC text books: Yorkists and Tudors, and totally exterminated.’ Rudolf Hoess, History, December 2003, 36-9 Britain in the Twentieth Century World. commander of Auschwitz, at the Longerich, P. `Architects of the Final Judith Loades will soon be publishing Nuremberg trials: ‘The final solution of Solution’, BBC History, February 2002, 34-8 her A level text book, Europe in the the Jewish question meant the complete Rees, L. `Auschwitz’ BBC History, Twentieth Century world. extermination of all Jews in Europe.’ January 2005, 14-21.

The Historian / Summer 2010 19 Connecting the dots: helping Year 9 to debate the purposes of Holocaust and genocide education

Why do we teach about the Introduction Holocaust and about other genocides? The Holocaust has Having taught and worked with history teachers over numerous years, it is evident, despite what some politicians would have us believe, that the general overall quality been a compulsory part of the of the history education profession is extremely high. The inventiveness of history English National Curriculum teachers and history educators is a major strength; the ability of individuals and since 1991; however, curriculum groups to devise engaging and imaginative teaching ideas is often extraordinary, documents say little about why while the capacity to respond to initiatives in an intellectually rigorous manner often pupils should learn about the ensures high-quality pedagogy and debate within the community, as is evidenced Holocaust or about what they by debates in these pages and at events such as the annual Historical Association should learn. Tamsin Leyman and and Schools’ History Project conferences. Another attribute of the history education Richard Harris decided to use community is a collective desire to look for ways to improve the quality of history the opportunity presented by education, and there are times when, as a community, we are faced by challenging the recent National Curriculum questions and issues. review to explore these issues One such challenge is the question ‘Why?’ Most teachers are probably fairly with pupils, some of whom had comfortable answering the question, ‘Why should we teach history?’, particularly studied other genocides and some when students come to make choices about GCSE and A-level subjects, yet questions of whom had not. Their article about why we teach particular historical topics, or take a particular slant on those reports how students responded topics, can be more problematic. Clearly the degree of challenge raised by such to the challenge in the context of questions will vary from topic to topic; for example most teachers will probably learning about the Holocaust and be able to make a strong case for teaching the Norman Conquest or the First the Rwandan genocide and argues World War, but deciding which particular content to include or which particular that asking students to think about perspective to examine is trickier. Should the Norman Conquest focus on why the why and how they are learning Normans successfully invaded, or on the consequences of the Conquest? Should we look at trench life in the First World War, or focus on how the war was different about these topics has beneficial from previous conflicts? Should there be a focus on technology in the war or on the effects, not least on students’ way in which the war brought about social change? Such questions become more thinking about the significance of pressing given the limiting timetable constraints faced in many schools. We cannot the Holocaust. teach everything and we have to make choices.

These questions can become even more problematic with particular topics such as the Holocaust and the teaching of genocide. Most teachers would probably not have a problem arguing that these are important topics to study, but what we want pupils to gain from studying them is a much more difficult question to answer. Are we simply educating students about the Holocaust, or are we educating students to help prevent possible future atrocities? Are we engaged in straightforward historical analysis of the past, examining what happened and how, or are we engaged in moral education or anti-racist education?

These are very important questions to answer and shape what we choose to focus Tamsin Leyman and Richard Harris on, how we teach and what we wish to achieve when teaching. These questions are Tamsin Leyman is Head of Humanities often hotly contested, as the differing views expressed by Illingworth and Kinloch earlier in these pages show.1 Research by the University of London’s Institute of at Testwood Sports College (11-16 Education (IOE) in 2009 also revealed wide variation in the ways that teachers mixed comprehensive), Hampshire, thought about the purposes of teaching the Holocaust.2 And it is not clear that the an IOE Beacon School in Holocaust revised National Curriculum will help clarify matters for the history teacher who Education. Richard Harris is Lecturer in expressed deep confusion about what was expected: History Education at the University of What does the Government want us to be teaching every child in this country Reading, and an IOE Associate. [about the Holocaust]? …What aspects are they wanting us to teach? What is the focus? …What is the outcome they want us to have with the students that

4 Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association we’re teaching? …Learning from the past or what we can whose findings were confirmed also in subsequent national learn in the future? …Or is it that they just want us to research conducted by the IOE, highlights a wide variance teach the facts, the figures?3 in rationales for teaching about the Holocaust, which tend, nevertheless, to focus on moral and social aims: ‘six out of Clearly there is a serious debate here and the issues are the ten history teachers I interviewed talked about the moral complicated. Indeed, when we embarked on developing lessons of the Holocaust being of primary importance’.9 this project together, as part of the IOE’s Beacon Schools in Although both the current and 2014 National Curriculum Holocaust education programme, with its focus on relating makes teaching the Holocaust compulsory, there are no the Holocaust to other genocides, one of the issues which clear guidelines on why and how to teach it or on what vexed us most was the aims of teaching the Holocaust. In to teach and, to problematise this further, academies, free the end, after lengthy discussion we decided this complexity schools and independent schools do not have to follow could be turned into a virtue and we decided to focus our the National Curriculum, so they can disregard Holocaust teaching on precisely this issue. education altogether. In addition, there is no compulsory requirement to teach any genocide other than the Holocaust. Previous research has shown that students often do not know As a result, learners’ experience of Holocaust education can why they study history or particular aspects of history.4 This be very variable and it is unlikely they will investigate any issue has been a focus of long-standing work with students at other genocides beyond the Holocaust in any depth. The Testwood School, through which we have tried to engage our continuance of genocides since the Holocaust may for some students with some of the bigger debates about the nature of raise questions about why the Holocaust is still compulsory history and its place in the curriculum. It became obvious to content on the National Curriculum. Responding to these us that, despite the complexity of the material and issues, we issues, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance should engage students with debates about why they should (IHRA) assembled a group of international educators who learn about the Holocaust and other genocides. It would help published a paper to help teachers to relate the Holocaust to them to ‘connect the dots’. other genocides and crimes against humanity.10 It states that:

Should we teach about the A clear and well- informed understanding of the Holocaust, the paradigmatic genocide, may help Holocaust? educators and students understand other genocides, mass 11 When the National Curriculum for History was first being atrocities, and human rights violations. designed the place of the Holocaust in the curriculum was vigorously debated and it was not included in the 1989 Why should we teach the interim report of the History Working Group. Despite these early recommendations, the Holocaust was part of the first Holocaust and other genocides National Curriculum, and has remained a compulsory part to Year 9? of secondary history education ever since. In the 2008 revised National Curriculum for History, it was stated that children These issues of what to teach, why teach it and how to should be taught about: approach teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides are problematic. In the last academic year we had the The changing nature of conflict and cooperation between privilege of being involved with the IOE’s Beacon Schools countries and peoples and its lasting impact on national, programme as a colleague in a participating school (Tamsin ethnic, racial, cultural or religious issues, including Leyman) and as an IOE Associate, working with a number the nature and impact of the two world wars and the of schools (Richard Harris). Together, we worked to develop Holocaust, and the role of European and international a local network of schools, centred on Testwood School, institutions in resolving conflicts.5 focused on creating teaching and learning materials on the Holocaust and other genocides and, in particular, on the However, at a time when what should and should not be legacy of genocide. Our work aimed to keep a very strong taught in the history classroom, and how it should be taught, focus on purpose – on exploring why we teach the Holocaust is once again in the spotlight, the purpose of Holocaust and other genocides. As history teachers we are all clear education in schools will continue to be debated. When the that knowing things is important, but why we should learn curriculum review was first announced in 2011, Lord Baker, about particular things is often overlooked. Even when that the architect of the first National Curriculum, said that he did discussion happens at departmental level, when designing not believe British schools should teach about the Holocaust.6 new schemes of work or considering new topics to teach, Nonetheless, the Holocaust remains key in the new National it is rare for the discussion to be shared with students. This Curriculum for September 2014: under the heading was something we were keen to address in the teaching and ‘challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 learning materials we were developing in our local network. to the present day’ studying ‘the Holocaust’ is clearly identified as a core focus and, among history teachers, the In order to develop these lessons, we had to be clear, as a Holocaust’s place in the curriculum is not really in doubt.7 department, about why we believed that the Holocaust and Research conducted by the IOE in 2009 found that 85 per other genocides should be taught and about their importance cent of respondents who taught the Holocaust felt it should in the curriculum. Yehuda Bauer has argued that the be compulsory content.8 The problem, then, is not whether Holocaust was an unprecedented event.12 While examples of the Holocaust should be taught in schools but why it atrocities and mass murder resonate throughout history the should be taught and how. Recent research by Lucy Russell, Holocaust is without precedent, in terms of the motivations

Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association 5 Figure 1: Why relate the Holocaust to other genocides and crimes against humanity? Points drawn from the IHRA Education the events. The Holocaust holds an important and central Working Group paper on the Holocaust and other genocides. place in our collective memory and young people are exposed to a wealth of Holocaust imagery and motifs in the mass As the Holocaust led to the creation of the term media, so they must be able to evaluate the range of claims 1 ‘genocide’ we can use it as a starting point and the and interpretations made about the Holocaust. This was the foundation for studying other genocides. central argument of Paul Salmons’ article in Teaching History 141, where he argues that it is ‘essential for young people’s In identifying key similarities and differences between educational literacy that they understand this central event 2 the Holocaust and other genocides we can give of our time and are able to evaluate critically the diverse 14 students the opportunity to better understand the claims made about it’. So as a department we agreed that the events could not be ignored in the secondary classroom. particular historical significance of the Holocaust, and how study of the Holocaust might contribute to our Just as important as wrestling with why to teach the understanding of other genocidal events. Holocaust and other genocides, was considering how we should approach teaching these difficult issues. Nicholas In comparing the Holocaust to other genocides and Kinloch argues that the Holocaust should be taught from 3 crimes against humanity, common patterns and an objective, historical standpoint: processes in the development of genocidal situations appear. Through the understanding of a genocidal We should teach the Shoah in schools. But I do not think process and in identifying stages and warning signs in that history teachers will do so effectively until we have this process, a contribution can hopefully be made to removed it from its quasi-mystical associations and 15 prevent future genocides. clarified our own objectives.

While we accepted the argument that it was important to It could help students understand the significance of focus on the Holocaust as history and to focus on the events, 4 the Holocaust in the development of international law we also felt that taking an exclusively historical approach and to understand attempts made by the international would deprive students of opportunities to consider the topic community to respond to genocide in the modern in its full complexity. McLaughlin makes the point that as world. the education process is inextricably linked to moral, social, cultural or spiritual considerations, it follows that school To compare the Holocaust to other genocides could history teaching must also fulfil this role in some way.16 5 help our students to be aware of the potential danger Equally Haydn and Salmons agree that history can never be of other genocides and crimes against humanity in the entirely divorced from the moral issues, the latter arguing world today. This may strengthen an awareness of their that our historical enquiry questions are often a function 17 own roles and responsibilities in the global community. of our moral concerns. It was clear to us, therefore, that while an historical approach was essential and whilst it was important that students develop a complex understanding To compare the Holocaust to other genocides may help of the Holocaust’s historical context, it was also important 6 to overcome the lack of recognition of other genocides. to address moral and ethical questions that are inseparable from the historical study of the Holocaust. However, we were Knowledge of the Holocaust may also be helpful in very clear that we would not use Holocaust education to teach 7 considering how to come to terms with the past in unduly simplistic lessons like ‘racism is bad’ or to teach about other societies after genocide, how communities can the dangers of intolerance, and that we must take a historical respond to genocide, and how survivors can attempt to approach, for as Haydn states, ‘we need to ask the usual range live with their experiences. of questions which the discipline of history requires’.18 An historical study of the Holocaust can reveal surprising and disturbing details that can challenge students’ preconceptions. and intentions of the perpetrators, and represented a It helps them see beyond the notion that perpetrators were continent-wide attempt to murder every last Jewish man, inhuman monsters, the notion that rescuers were simply woman and child and a potential global ambition to kill all brave and heroic and the notion that bystanders were simply Jews everywhere that they could be found. Having said that, cowardly or uncaring.19 As Salmons argues: teaching it in schools presents numerous challenges and difficulties. The lack of a carefully thought-through historical Many of the ‘big historical questions’ we want our rationale for teaching the Holocaust can account for the students to investigate are a function of the moral variance in teaching noted by both Russell and the IOE. It questions that continue to trouble academic historians, may also be the reason why some use it to teach moral lessons as they search for the meaning of human action and rather than as a rigorous historical inquiry. This has led to inaction during the Holocaust.20 some, such as Geoffrey Short, to suggest that ‘it is debatable whether covering the Holocaust superficially is preferable Our aim in teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides to not covering it at all.’13 Although we might sympathise was not just simply that the students should know ‘more with Short’s view, as teachers we have a responsibility to stuff’. We felt strongly that students must be given the work within the limitations we face and to find ways to opportunity to consider the universal implications of the allow students time fully to investigate the complexities of Holocaust and, as Gregory states:

6 Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association Figure 2: The starter task from the first lesson

It is not enough to inform about the Holocaust; our should not be taught in English schools, but not the article or task is to educate young people about it… to encourage Baker’s reasoning. They were asked to come up with reasons an understanding of how it came about and what its why he might suggest this. Students had already carried out an significance was and, importantly, might be to us at the extensive investigation into the development of persecution present time.21 of the Jews in Nazi Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe. Students were asked to come up with a number of arguments Therefore, for us, it was not just enough to educate for not teaching the topic, ranging from it creating negative about the Holocaust. We felt that if we did not use this stereotypes of Germans or of Jewish people as simply victims, opportunity to make the link with other genocides we were to it not being relevant to English schoolchildren. Students missing an opportunity to explore one key aspect of the were then given cards with arguments against teaching the contemporary significance of the Holocaust. We found the Holocaust, which they organised on to a continuum of strong recommendations of the IHRA very helpful in developing to weak arguments. The continuum aimed to help them start our rationale further (Figure 1). to evaluate these arguments, and many students naturally started to challenge them at this point. Before taking the Developing the enquiry discussion any further, the students were also given some time to consider how they thought we should approach a The aim of the first new enquiry that we developed was to debate about sensitive and controversial topics like this. help students consider whether the Holocaust should be Students were able to identify the importance of listening to taught in English schools, and how it could be approached. and trying to understand the views of others. Bearing these We framed the issue as an aspect of the broader questions points in mind, students then evaluated Baker’s arguments as raised by the National Curriculum review (Figure 2). The presented in the Daily Telegraph article, considering whether lesson began by asking students what five events, people he was arguing effectively and sensitively. or changes they thought should be included in a revised National Curriculum for History. Students were challenged We then moved into the real thrust of the lesson, to challenge to provide arguments for these events, people or changes Lord Baker’s arguments. Again, students were asked to come beyond ‘it was important’ or ‘it’s interesting’. up with their own ideas about why it might be argued that the Holocaust should be taught in English schools. The enquiry Lord Baker’s article in the Daily Telegraph from November was taught twice. The first time was with a class that had 2011, stating that the Holocaust should not be taught, not done any work on other genocides at this point. Some provided the stimulus for this lesson: students were of the reasons they gave for teaching the Holocaust were introduced to Lord Baker’s statement that the Holocaust vague statements about ‘never again’, reflecting their lack of

Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association 7 Figure 3: Instructions for students in the emailing task understanding of other genocides. We decided to explore how the enquiry would work with a second group, who had been taught a few lessons on other genocides and the Rwandan genocide in particular. This second group’s responses were much sharper and they were able to ‘connect the dots’ and to show better understanding. The concern is sometimes expressed that teaching other genocides may diminish the significance of the Holocaust; however, we found that the opposite was the case. Students were encouraged to make careful comparisons and we emphasised the fact that we are not comparing suffering. Students were able to consider the issue of genocide prevention and showed better understanding of why people commit genocide. They suggested that looking at the Holocaust could help us see the complexity in the perpetrators’ motivations and how this could be applied to countries where there are early warning signs which indicate the danger of mass killing or genocide. Students in the first group Figure 4: Examples of students’ responses suggested studying the Holocaust is important in terms of looking at choices people make, but were less clear about why this is important. Both groups suggested that studying the Holocaust is important as it is part of our collective memory; the Holocaust is a topic for films, TV shows and books like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and students felt if they were not taught it at school then they would only have a very simplistic understanding. Having come up with their own ideas, students then examined the views of historians and education experts on why the Holocaust should be taught.22 Some were very pleased to see their own ideas reflected in reasons provided by these experts.

The final challenge was for the students to use the thinking that they had developed to help them write a convincing argument in favour of or against teaching about the Holocaust (Figure 3). Richard Harris was the addressee for student emails, as an ‘external’ expert and as someone who helped to write the 2008 National Curriculum. Students were told that they were free to argue either for or against the inclusion of the Holocaust in the curriculum, although, in fact, none of the students took Lord Baker’s view. We felt that it was important to allow them freedom to support either view, to avoid this becoming little more than an exercise in rhetorical argument in which students marshalled evidence for a view merely for the sake of it. To focus the students’ ideas in the email to Richard, they had to keep their answer to under 200 words. I also encouraged them to address some of the reasons given to not teach the Holocaust, and to give counter- arguments. They used the connective grid on building explanations developed by Hampshire teacher Paul Barrett to help them develop their arguments.23

8 Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association Figure 5: PowerPoint slide introducing the testimony of Rwandan survivors

The student responses indicated that the work we had done show respect for the victims and can cause distress or at Testwood, on helping students to understand the purpose embarrassment among students. They also had to consider of studying history generally and in engaging them with the the problem of what evidence should be used, discussing debates about its nature and place in the curriculum, had the problems of using perpetrator evidence, which forms been largely successful (Figure 4). We think that it is unlikely the largest basis of evidence about the Holocaust, versus that they would have been able to develop their arguments evidence from the victims or from other witnesses. We about the Holocaust as effectively without the preparatory wanted students to be aware that much of the source material work on considering the case for history more generally. relating to the Holocaust was produced by the Nazis and their collaborators – a simple web search would find written In the second lesson they went on to consider how the Holocaust documents, photographs and even film clips produced by the should be taught – to consider what content to include and perpetrators. The aim was to get students to consider that what sorts of approaches are appropriate and helpful in the if the past is only seen through the eyes of the perpetrators investigation. They had 20 images showing various aspects of then we risk seeing the victims only as the Nazis saw them, the Holocaust from which they had to select eight which would perpetuating their dehumanisation. This developed issues form the basis of an investigation. The images covered Jewish raised in the first lesson, as many of the reasons given not to life before the Second World War, Hitler’s rise to power and the teach the Holocaust were more about poor teaching of the early stages of persecution, the development of persecution of topic, such as a lack of time or not giving sufficient complex both Jewish and non-Jewish groups between 1939 and 1941, context, rather than valid reasons not to teach it at all. Having ghettos, killing centres, resistance, liberation and aftermath. done a lot of work with students this year on the concept of what ‘our’ history is and how it relates to their lives it was We made a conscious decision not to use horrific imagery pleasing to see students dismiss the idea that we should not as we felt that the use of images of this kind does not study the Holocaust because it was not relevant to them.

Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association 9 Developing an enquiry into the Conclusion legacy of other genocides We feel that the work carried out in these lessons has had The second new enquiry that we developed looked at the several benefits. Too often the choice of historical topics in legacy of the Rwandan genocide, and why this should be schools is a ‘closed book’ to students, a secret that teachers taught in secondary schools. Students had already studied the keep to themselves. We found that engaging students with causes and nature of the genocide in Rwanda, and completed debates about what should be studied and why, helped the enquiry into why the Holocaust should be taught. So at them understand the complexity of the past better, that it the start of this lesson students were challenged to explore the helped them to better appreciate what they are taught and question, ‘Why should the Rwandan genocide be included in so enhance their understanding of the value of history and the school curriculum?’ The ideas that students proposed in the way in which it can have an impact on their lives. We response to this question were to be re-visited at the end of also feel that it helps to build contextual understanding since the lesson. As the lesson progressed, pupils were reminded in order to articulate reasons for studying a topic students of what Rwanda had been like before the genocide, before have to explore that topic in a broader framework. Learning they examined information on cards about the legacy of the about other genocides also enabled our Year 9 students to genocide. Students were encouraged to identify possible sharpen their understanding of the historical significance of categories to sort the cards into, and after discussion we the Holocaust. Through careful and sensitive comparisons settled on economic impact, political impact, social impact of genocides and other crimes against humanity 13- and and justice for survivors. This gave them more understanding 14-year-old students can start to make sense of the nature and consequences of human action and inaction, those of how Rwanda was changed by genocide. They were then 24 asked to consider what they thought might be missing from ‘big historical questions’ Salmons refers to. Rather than this information, in the light of their investigation into the diminishing the historical significance of the Holocaust, Holocaust. They quickly identified the lack of survivor teaching other genocides actually strengthens it, as students testimony. In pairs, students then looked at the testimony are able to make links and comparisons, and see the value of of one of five survivors and shared the survivor experiences this in terms of genocide prevention. they had examined with the class.

Their challenge then was to plan a proposal for a documentary REFERENCES on ‘Rwanda: 20 years on’ for the twentieth anniversary next 1 Kinloch, N. (1999) ‘Learning about the Holocaust: Moral or Historical year. They had to consider three key questions: Who are Question?’ in Teaching History, 93, History and ICT Edition, pp.44-46; Illingworth, S. (2000) ‘Hearts, minds and souls: exploring values through you aiming your documentary at? What do you want your history’ in Teaching History, 100, Thinking and Feeling Edition, pp.20-24. viewers to know? What do you want your documentary to 2 Pettigrew, A., Foster, S., Howson, J., Salmons, P. (2009) Teaching about the do? In their planning they also had to address what the focus Holocaust in English Schools. An empirical study of national trends, perspectives and practices, London: Centre for Holocaust Education, Institute of Education, would be for the documentary – one particular aspect or University of London, Executive Summary. an overview, what key information they would include and 3 Pettigrew et al., , op. cit., p.86. 4 For example, Haydn, T. and Harris, R. (2010) ‘Pupil perspectives on the purposes what survivor testimony they would use. There was a wide and benefits of studying history in high school: a view from the UK’ in Journal variance in the documentary designs the students created. of Curriculum Studies, 42, No. 2, pp. 241–26. 5 QCA (2007), National Curriculum in England: History programme of study for Many chose to focus on the legacy of the genocide, possibly key stage 3, p.116. London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. a reflection of the emphasis we had placed on legacy in the 6 rowley, T. (2011) “Stop teaching about the holocaust so that children see preceding lessons. Several went away and did additional Germany in a better light, says Lord Baker” the Daily Telegraph, 24 December 2011, www.telegraph.co.uk research on the survivor or survivors they had elected to 7 DfE (2013), National curriculum in England: history programme of study – key focus on. Many students were particularly interested in the stage 3, p.4. London: Department for Education. 8 Pettigrew et al., op.cit., p8. impact of the genocide on children and how it would affect 9 russell, L. (2006) Teaching the Holocaust in School History: teachers or future generations. preachers?, London: Continuum, p.34. 10 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (2010), Education Working Group Paper on the Holocaust and other Genocides. Finally we returned to the students’ ideas that had been www.holocaustremembrance.com. collected at the start of the lesson on why they thought the 11 ibid., p.1. 12 Bauer, Y. (2001) ‘What was the Holocaust?’ In Y. Bauer (ed.), Rethinking the Rwandan genocide should be taught. They were able to refine Holocaust, New Haven: Yale University Press, p.2. their original thoughts from the beginning of the lesson, 13 Short, G. (1995) ‘The Holocaust in the National Curriculum: a survey of teachers’ attitudes and practices’in Journal of Holocaust education, 4, p.187. where they had made some general, simplistic statements 14 Salmons, P. (2010) ‘Universal meaning or historical understanding?’ in Teaching about why Rwanda should be taught. Instead, students History, 141, The Holocaust Edition, pp.57-63. were more specific in their reasoning for teaching the 15 Kinloch, op.cit. p.46. 16 McLaughlin, T. (1999) ‘Morality, citizenship and the Shoah [again]’ inTeaching Rwandan genocide, suggesting that it is important to teach History, 96, Citizenship and Identity Edition, p.3 (letters page). the genocide as most survivors are still seeking justice, or 17 Salmons, P. (2001) ‘Moral Dilemmas: history, teaching and the Holocaust’ in Teaching History, 104, Teaching the Holocaust Edition, pp.34-40. because of the sheer number of people killed in a very short 18 Haydn, T. (2000) ‘Teaching the Holocaust through History’ In I. Davies (ed.) time-span. Some considered the reaction, or lack of it, from Teaching the Holocaust, educational dimensions, principles and practice, London: Continuum, p.143. the international community and the long-term legacy on 19 Salmons (2001) op.cit. p.35. the country, particularly as survivors and perpetrators have 20 ibid. to live side-by-side. Students were able to draw comparisons 21 Gregory, I. (2000) ‘Teaching about the Holocaust: Some perplexities and issues’ In Davies (ed.) op.cit., p.53. to the legacy of the Holocaust, and why these topics should 22 Experts quoted included Yehuda Bauer, the International Holocaust be taught in English schools. By making these comparisons, Remembrance Alliance, Terry Haydn, Paul Salmons, UNESCO and James Smith, Chairman of the Holocaust Centre in the Daily Telegraph, 24 December 2011. students’ understanding of both the Holocaust and the 23 Paul Barrett, Leading Teacher, Hampshire History Steering Group. Rwandan genocide was developed. 24 Salmons (2001) op.cit.

10 Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association ‘But I still don’t get why the Jews’: using cause and change to answer pupils’ demand for an overview of antisemitism

Research by the Centre for Introduction Holocaust Education has suggested that students need and In this article I present a series of activities for a lesson with three interlocking goals. The lesson was designed, first, to deepen students’ knowledge of the historical context want more help with building of antisemitism, second, to teach them to shape their own arguments about the causes an overview of the historical of antisemitism and, third, to show them how to think about how far and in what ways roots of antisemitism and that antisemitism changed over time and across different settings. The lesson is therefore they often lack knowledge of designed to build substantive knowledge of more than one historical situation, separated Jewish life prior to the Holocaust. in time and space, and also to use two second-order concepts – cause and change – to Darius Jackson has attended to help pupils to shape and re-shape that knowledge analytically. The causation work these problems with a lesson is, in some ways, servant to the work on change, with the change focus being on how that examines the context of causes of a recurring phenomenon varied over time. It thus reverses Jenner’s interplay 1 antisemitism in two contrasting of change and cause, by making change into the overall focus. This lesson is designed settings: medieval England and for pupils in Year 9 or above who would be studying Nazi Germany and who would already have studied medieval history lower down the school. Nazi-occupied Poland. After building their own analysis of the There were three inspirations for this lesson: first, the controversy surrounding the causes of antisemitism in both AQA GCSE RE question in the summer of 2012, ‘Explain briefly why some people are contexts, pupils then situate this prejudiced against Jews’. Many comments on this question suggested that explaining within an overall question about an idea was tantamount to justifying it. If this were the case, then any attempt to historical change, looking at explain, historically, the existence of antisemitism could be accused of rationalising patterns of change and continuity it.2 The second inspiration was the re-release of the Imperial War Museum’s classic across the causes of both events. DVD The Way We Used To Live. Included in the re-release is a twelve-minute film, 3 The model can be expanded to The Roots of Antisemitism. In this short film, the history of antisemitism is presented. embrace other historical events The activities in my lesson are explicitly designed to build upon that intense short film. Although the DVD is useful, however, the lesson and activities are designed to and situations. work without it and provide a model applicable to other issues and topics in history. Third, and most important, was research carried out by the Centre for Holocaust Education, at the Institute of Education, University of London. The research was into the nature of Holocaust education, when, how, where and why it is taught in English state schools. It used an on-line questionnaire, with 2,108 respondents, and 68 interviews in 24 schools to explore the issues. This research showed that when teaching about the Holocaust, Jewish life prior to the Holocaust is often overlooked.4 Other research, such as that by Short, has highlighted the risk that the Holocaust be seen as a result of religious rather than racial prejudice.5 The research team at the Centre for Holocaust Education monitor the feedback we get from teachers on our courses, and this, along with anecdotal evidence from teachers, suggested that students wanted an overview to explain the historical roots of antisemitism. Consequently this lesson provides a framework to help pupils understand the factors that led to the Holocaust, placing these in an historical context and helping pupils to construct that analysis in a rigorous, historical way by using questions shaped by major historical concepts – cause and change – and doing so over long time-scales. Darius Jackson Darius Jackson is Professional Tutor This last point is important. The events of the Holocaust took place during a specific in Holocaust Education, Centre for phase of World War II. Focusing on the immediate context, however, can lead to pupils ignoring the longer historical context. This leaves them unable to construct Holocaust Education, Institute of an informed, historical answer to the question, ‘Why were the Jews murdered?’ This Education, University of London. lesson aims to balance the relative importance of long-term factors and specific local contexts in deepening pupils’ understanding of the causes of antisemitism.

Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association 11 Figure 1: Factors that affected antisemitism for use in Stage I of the lesson Ghettos Social Darwinism Jews segregated Jews forced to live in the Pale ignorance of the Jewish faith Jews marginalised Jews being blamed for overwhelming majority of people right-wing Germans blaming Jews communism because some in Europe being Christian, so Jews for losing the Great War, even Russian communist leaders were deemed unusual and different though German Jews had fought Jewish and died for their country Russian Tsar (Emperor) in the late Jews accused of murdering nineteenth century seeing the children in order to use their blood Jews as ‘the enemies within’ in making bread for the Passover Jews blamed for the Black Death early Christians blaming Jews for Protocols of the Learned Elders of the killing of Christ Zion rebellion against the Romans in Jews being forced to do unpopular Jews not being allowed to eat any the second century CE jobs blood or blood product Jews seen as a race rather than a the fact that Jews could convert the fact that if Jews changed their religion to Christianity, and thereby stop religion they did not stop being being Jewish Jewish Tax collecting accusations of magic money-lending Nazis claiming that Aryans and Jewish people settling across Jews were in conflict all the time Europe and the Middle East in small communities Jewish migration to Poland in 80% of Jewish people living in Russia taking over Poland in 1815 order to be safe Poland nineteenth-century argument that the fact that Jews did not give some people thinking that Jews humans were divided into races up being Jewish once they had secretly controlled the world gained rights in the nineteenth economy and governments century

The lesson have been extensively refined by teachers such as Woodcock who challenged the over-use of routine, special causation The lesson is driven by two second-order concepts, cause language such as ‘factor’, ‘reason’ and so on, and argued and change. Each of these has a long tradition in the for explicitly teaching pupils further language that would history education community in the UK, with history nuance the complex ways in which different causes enable or teachers exploring and debating their role as frameworks facilitate events.10 Not dissimilar to the argument of Bhaskar, 6 for argument and analysis. The lessons also explicitly teach the philosopher of science, Woodcock, the history teacher, key substantive concepts, such as Social Darwinism and has reservations about explaining an event as if it were antisemitism. Rogers argues that pupils’ recurring encounter possible to isolate it like some form of laboratory experiment. with such concepts is both engine and measure of their Context and complexity are inescapable.11 growing knowledge.7 The lesson would therefore fit in but also need to be tailored by history teachers to whatever The second main concept is ‘change and continuity’. The pattern of prior teaching using both substantive and second- students have to weigh up the changes within the ideas of order concepts that they had adopted before. antisemites over time. Again, pupils’ prior work on change and continuity could be drawn upon. Students are likely to The first concept is causality. Across the course of the lesson, have examined, for example, how monarchy or stability in pupils will have opportunity to build on their existing work government changed over time, as illustrated in a wide range on the nature of causes and how they combine. As with of published work by history teachers from McDougall to virtually all published work by history teachers on causation, Fordham.12 it is based on an assumption of multi-causality. Isolating ‘the’ cause is impossible in history for ‘…causation in history does The substantive concepts are many. Antisemitism at the heart not involve simple cause-effect relationships; instead there of the lesson, but others such as segregation, prejudice and are many actions and events that occur over time which discrimination present throughout. Students’ understanding may play a role in producing historical events.’8 Heavily of these concepts cannot be taken for granted. I have found influenced by E.H.Carr, most school history has attempted that it is important to devote time to ensuring that each of to introduce students to bundles of causes and then to allow these concepts – each one a cultural category that amounts pupils to connect, combine and prioritise.9 Such approaches to a way of seeing a phenomenon in history – are properly

12 Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association Figure 2: ’Keys’ for explaining medieval antisemitism understood by making pupils explore them carefully. Certain kinds of events, situations and developments ‘fit’ these concepts; while others fit less well. Haenen and Schrijnemakers have shown how thinking carefully about the boundaries of such concepts can be one and the same process as deepening knowledge.13

Stage 1 I designed this part of the lesson to give the pupils an overall, shared conception of the causes of antisemitism. The central task is categorisation. This is a concept-forming task, encouraging pupils to crystallise, from a wide range of material, a core issue or central factor that needs to be summed up in a single noun or nominal group. The Imperial War Museum’s DVD provides a hook at the start of the lesson, but it is by no means essential. Students work in small groups to sort some pre-prepared factors (see Figure 1) into categories. The advantage of small groups here is not only that they are ‘...likely to lead to a better group product’ but, given the complex array of factors, with careful teacher direction, one pupil’s knowledge can be used address another’s gaps or questions.14 The set of factors is not exhaustive. Blank factor cards are provided for pupils to write on so that they can make additions wherever their prior or new knowledge generates factors they deem to be important yet missing.

As with any categorisation exercise in a causation enquiry, the necessary level of support can vary according to pupil need.15 While some pupils will be able to develop their own categories, other groups of pupils will need guidance, perhaps by being given one or two possible, larger concepts into which their groups and clusters could fit. Generally three categories emerge and they usually revolve around money or wealth, power and beliefs. The last category often subdivides into general beliefs as opposed to specific myths about Jews. Where factors are relevant to two categories, this can be a good moment to encourage the pupils to resolve the issue themselves. When I have allowed the categories to develop from the sorting activity discussion, I have often found that there is an initial sense of uncertainty. If I firmly encourage pupils to embrace that uncertainty, however, and stick at the Through this activity they will start to see that antisemitism task, that uncertain phase can be profitable in yielding much itself changes over time, but the primary analytic lens remains more thought about the best possible wording for categories. causation. I achieve this by using case studies to show that In the feedback, my advice is to make sure that you get pupils events differ in the range or type of causes that led to them. to reflect on the way that non-religious factors often affect To keep it to one lesson, I generally choose just two events. what appears to be a religious phenomenon. Help them, I get the pupils to compare the causes of the Clifford’s Tower moreover, to see that they have developed an understanding massacre in England in 1190 with the causes of the events at of antisemitism as a general phenomenon. It is worth taking Treblinka in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1942. The Clifford’s time to help them reflect on how they have shaped the Tower massacre took place in the city of York in England. concept of antisemitism through their historical analysis. Richard I had recently been crowned. He made no secret of During this stage of the lesson, they have carried out part his intention to go on a Crusade and there were rumours of a causal analysis – grouping and classifying factors – and that he had called for all Jews in England to be killed. This they have built their understanding of several substantive inspired anti-Jewish sentiment. In York, a man called Richard concepts, both the more specific ones embedded within the de Malbis, who owed money to a Jewish man, Aaron of cards and the more general ones used to group them. Seeing Lincoln, instigated the attack. The Jews took sanctuary in how one substantive concept fits into another is one way of Clifford’s Tower but they were soon besieged and eventually exploring the boundaries of each. killed by the sheriff’s men. These two events, separated by over eight centuries and quite different cultural, political and Stage 2 social circumstances, lead to a fruitful comparison. This is where the pupils refocus their thoughts in order to create historically-specific conceptions of the factors that Many other events or situations would similarly allow for a lead to antisemitism. In this section, the focus remains on comparison of events and a comparison of causes. It would causation but also prepares the way for an analysis of change. be possible to build into such a comparison other events such

Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association 13 Figure 3: ’Keys’ for explaining Nazi antisemitism they can later compare it with Nazi antisemitism. As they are constructing their own interpretations of the roots of medieval antisemitism, they need to try out different ideas. In their groups they make links, wherever they consider there to be one, between the different causes. Thus they explore how these causes might combine. Slowly, through this activity, they decide what their ‘key’ labels are. There are three important rules to this activity:

yy Labels must be written as full sentences. This ensures that they are developing ideas and arguments rather than snatches and rough ideas not properly thought through. In my experience, making pupils write a sentence makes them take more care. At first I was happy for short phrases to be used to explain the causes. It became apparent, however, that this was the point at which pupils began to combine causes and to construct their own interpretations. I therefore tend to advise teachers to demand sentences that synthesise groups of causes. It is an important stage in the embedding and formation of substantive concepts and in causal reasoning, so it is worth investing time in making pupils do it thoughtfully and carefully. yy Pupils are not allowed to use the same wording as that on the cards that they have just sorted. This makes them formulate their own explanations. yy They are allowed to introduce other information to support their arguments.

From running this in a number of contexts the most commonly emerging labels tend to be these:

yy Religion: either how the Jews were an isolated minority in an overwhelmingly Christian Europe and/or Christians blaming Jews for killing Christ. yy Isolation: Jews being in small isolated communities speckled throughout Europe and therefore an easy target for persecution. yy Marginalisation and ignorance: how Jews were marginalised socially or geographically leading to ignorance of their religious beliefs. This is sometimes turned on its head, with marginalisation growing from 16 17 as those that occurred in Seville in 1391, Uman in 1768 ignorance. or the Christmas Pogrom in Warsaw 1881.18 My choice of yy Jews being blamed for a variety of misfortunes and medieval England and Nazi Germany arises from the fact disasters, such as the Black Death, infanticide, magic. that it is easier to tease out certain differences between these two periods. While in Nazi Germany a racist ideology was yy Jews being forced to do unpopular jobs. the driving force, there was a strongly religious dimension to medieval antisemitism. There are elements of continuity, The last two are sometimes related to the way that Jews were but my intent is to show that antisemitisms are not identical; marginalised socially. Because Jews were segregated, it was they change over time. easy to believe wild stories such as the myths that spread both in Seville and in York. Sometimes students put the Still working in groups, the pupils use ‘keys’ as a metaphor argument about unpopular jobs the other way around: it for naming the causal factors that ‘unlocked’ antisemitism. was the jobs that led to Jewish marginalisation. One Year Each group gets a diagram with an old-looking lock and 10 girl reversed this, however, by using her knowledge from three elderly-looking keys (Figure 2). Having only three geography lessons to comment that migrant workers today keys encourages pupils to synthesise information and, in still end up doing the ‘dirty jobs’. so doing, to make decisions about the relative importance of the various factors in each situation.19 First the pupils The activity is then repeated for the second case study, Nazi select from their collection of factors those that are relevant antisemitism. Each group has a sheet with a more modern to antisemitism in the Middle Ages. This allows them lock and keys (Figure 3). Once again, slowly from the to highlight the nature of medieval antisemitism so that discussion certain factors emerge as being more important

14 Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association Figure 4: Woodcock’s criteria for student success in causal explanation activities

� pertinent selection and deployment of evidence and examples;

� sorting and categorising evidence and ideas into broader themes and factors;

� informed and logical explanation of how a particular point answers the question;

� drawing causal links between events and themes;

� deciding upon a hierarchy of causes;

� sustaining an argument which is consistent, persuasive and logical;

� addressing alternative views and interpretations of events or particular pieces of evidence.

Woodcock J. (2011) ‘Causal explanation’ in Davies I. (ed.) Debates in History Teaching, London: Routledge, p.125

than others. The following usually become the important into the complex and abstract question, ‘What is different ‘keys’: about antisemitism at these times?’ This question requires an argument characterising both extent and nature of change. yy Racism: Jews being seen as a separate race; students Foster, basing her approach on the work of academic sometimes link this to imperialism. historians, reminds us that pupils need to attend to continuity 22 yy Social Darwinism: always linked to the growth of and change occurring simultaneously. My activity is racism. designed to highlight continuities in antisemitism between the medieval and Nazi periods so that pupils can build yy Jews being blamed for specific German problems hypotheses concerning both their nature and their extent. such as losing WWI or the Treaty of Versailles. Anti- Foster also suggests that the writing of academic historians communism is occasionally put in this grouping. frequently problematises both ‘direction’ and ‘significance’ y y The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and how Jews were of change. My activity creates opportunity for the first and blamed for capitalism, communism and the state of the possibly for the second by highlighting the transition from world in general. a religious to a racially-motivated antisemitism and by yy The Nazis having control over a large Jewish exploring different manifestations of antisemitism, which, population as a result of the conquest of Eastern together, could be characterised as showing a number of Europe. possible ‘directions’ of change.

Drawing on both historians and history teachers’ work, These notions are initially presented very simply, using Woodcock extracts seven criteria (Figure 4) to assess the a Venn diagram, where one circle represents the factors success of pupils working on causality. In Stage 1 and Stage 2 specific to medieval antisemitsm and the other to Nazi anti- pupils will have had opportunity to address each of these, semitism. The overlap will contain features that are common although teachers may wish to emphasise one or more of to both (Figure 5). This can be done by getting pupils to them as specific objectives.20 write their ideas in the circles but as this is a complex issue it can be easier and more productive of valid argument to Stage 3 run this as a whole-class feedback so the teacher leads the The conceptual framework changes with this activity. Instead questioning. Thus the teacher can ensure that pupils are of analysing causality, we now shift to continuity and change using adequate information accurately and appropriately, in the history of antisemitism. The pupils explore how that they are thinking rigorously about continuity and antisemitism both changed and stayed the same. Counsell change in antisemitism and that they are teasing out its argues that it is important to work out what we want pupils possible configurations. It is useful for a teacher to model to do when we ask them to examine ‘continuity and change’. the emergence of such a conceptual framework, for example, The historical problems that change and continuity throw by ‘thinking out loud’ about their own decision-making as an up do not suggest types of argument as neatly as those exemplar. In that way, pupils can see how historians consider thrown up by causation, but clearly there is no one fixed alternative possibilities and weigh them up before reaching account of continuity and change so something must be a claim about continuity or change. problematised and explored.21 By focusing on a deceptively simple, concrete activity – listing key features of specific types Three big issues usually become apparent quite quickly, of antisemitism – I found that I was able to move students driving the discussion and allowing the teacher to press

Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association 15 Figure 5: Venn diagram for comparing causes of antisemitism

Venn Diagram filled in by Freya and Inga

pupils to nuance each more carefully and to insist on Jews were blamed for a variety of modern ills. This can be appropriate factual support: broadened out into wider features of twentieth-century antisemitism. Preston points out the role of antisemitism in yy religion as a factor in the Middle Ages; modern Spain, for example: yy racism as a factor in the Nazi period; yy scapegoating as common to both. Spanish antisemitism without Jews was not about Real Jews but about an abstract construction of a perceived threat...given a burning contemporary relevance by This difference between a religious and a racial base for the fear of revolution… all those belonging to left- antisemitism has significant implications. A medieval wing parties were the stooges of the Jews...urbanism to Jew who converted to Christianity would no longer be industrialism to liberalism and capitalism all ideologies persecuted. Under the Nazi racial definition of a Jew, any associated with Jews and Freemasons. 23 religious conversion made no difference at all. This helps pupils to understand that the Holocaust was not about religious persecution; it was racially motivated. It was an This leads us to the final, more substantive point of the attempted genocide. whole lesson and one that it is important to reinforce at the end. It is a point that draws together the pupils’ learning It is in the discussion of scapegoating that the understanding of substantive knowledge and their use of second-order of the complexities of change and continuity come to the fore. conceptual frameworks. Fear of the Jews both in medieval In both medieval and Nazi versions of antisemitism, when York and in Nazi Europe was based on the fantasies of Jews were scapegoated the difference was what they blamed the perpetrators, not on anything Jews actually did. To for. In the Middle Ages, antisemites blamed Jews for the Black understand antisemitism it is important to examine the Death, child-murdering and magic. In the twentieth century, context in which it appeared.

16 Teaching History 153 December 2013 The Historical Association

Holocaust Memorial Day Resources January 2021

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