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Yad VaJerusalemhem QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, VOL. 66, JULY 2012 Telling the Story, Teaching the Core The Eighth International Conference on Holocaust Education (pp. 2-4) YadJ erusalemVa hem QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, VOL. 66, Tamuz 5772, July 2012 Published by: Contents Yad Vashem The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Education ■ 2-6 Telling the Story, Teaching the Core Remembrance Authority ■ 2-4 ■ Telling the Story, Teaching the Core The Eighth International Conference on Holocaust Leah Goldstein Chairman of the Council: Rabbi Israel Meir Lau Education Vice Chairmen of the Council: Dr. Yitzhak Arad Yad Vashem and Council of Europe Enhance Dr. Moshe Kantor ■ Cooperation ■ 5 “Inevitably, the Holocaust has become Prof. Elie Wiesel history. But that does not mean that its chain Arab History Teachers Enrich Knowledge ■ 5 Chairman of the Directorate: Avner Shalev of transmission should be broken… Survivors, Director General: Nathan Eitan Bringing My Story to Life ■ 5 together with several generations of Jews and Head of the International Institute for Holocaust non-Jews, have bequeathed to us a wealth of Yad Vashem Educational Awards 2012 ■ 6 Research: Prof. Dan Michman information and analysis upon which we can Chief Historian: Prof. Dina Porat Senior German Journalists Attend rely. We have Holocaust-related libraries, Academic Advisors: “Life-Changing” Seminar ■ 6 archives, testimonies, museums, books, Prof. Yehuda Bauer Prof. Israel Gutman New at the Virtual School ■ 6 conferences, scholars, teachers, writers and artists. Yad Vashem is a global leader in this Members of the Yad Vashem Directorate: Rywka’s Diary ■ 7 mission. And Holocaust educators have a Yossi Ahimeir, Edna Ben-Horin, The Voice of a Young Girl in the Ghetto Chaim Chesler, Matityahu Drobles, special responsibility: to be faithful to the Abraham Duvdevani, “Black Sabbath” and the Holocaust truth of the subject – to get it right.” Prof. Boleslaw (Bolek) Goldman, ■ 8-9 Moshe Ha-Elion, Adv. Shlomit Kasirer, of Greek Jewry Prof. Michael R. Marrus, University of Toronto, Yehiel Leket, Linda Olmert, Effi Shtensler, The Holocaust in the Jewish Metropolis of Keynote Speaker at the International Conference Dalit Stauber, Baruch Shub, Amira Stern, Salonika Dr. Zehava Tanne, Adv. Shoshana Weinshall, On 18-21 June, 355 educators from 54 Eli Zborowski, Dudi Zilbershlag Gathering the Fragments ■ 10 countries worldwide gathered at Yad Vashem for The Shirt of Five-Year-Old Rafael the Eighth International Conference on Holocaust THE MAGAZINE New in the Art Collection ■ 11 Education. Over half of the participants at Editor-in-Chief: Iris Rosenberg Portraits of Jewish Intellectuals on the Run the biannual conference were graduates of Managing Editor: Leah Goldstein educational seminars at the International School Rescue Operations During the Holocaust Editorial Board: for Holocaust Studies. ■ 12-13 Yifat Bachrach-Ron “The goal of the conference was different Deborah Berman Symposium Marks 100 Years Since the Birth of from any other preceding it,” explained Director Susan Weisberg Raoul Wallenberg Cynthia Wroclawski of the International School Dorit Novak. Estee Yaari Holocaust Remembrance Day 2012 ■ 14-15 “The Holocaust is being instrumentalized Editorial Coordinator: Lilach Tamir-Itach News from the Research Institute ■ 16-17 more than ever to address a range of issues Language Editor: Leah Goldstein not necessarily directly related to it, which News ■ 18-21 Proofreader: Ezra Olman opens the door to diminishing, equating and Translated by: KPoint Friends Worldwide ■ 22-27 manipulating its history and memory. We Assisted by: Alexander Avram, Rachel Barkai, New on the Shelf ■ 28 therefore felt an urgent need to ‘get back to Shaya Ben Yehuda, Jackie Frankel, the basics,’ to teach the fundamental aspects Ayala Peretz, Dana Porath, Aviya Salomon Hovav, Amanda Smulowitz of the event, in order to equip educators with Photography: Yossi Ben-David, Isaac Harari the knowledge and tools necessary to deal with these current trends.” Production: AR-Print “Yad Vashem is challenged by the fact that Design: Stephanie & Ruti Design people today use the word Holocaust in many This magazine was published with the assistance of The Azrieli Group. different ways,” said Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. “We must go back to the core issues of the Shoah: what actually happened ISSN 0793-7199 in the ghettos, the camps, and during the ©Articles appearing in this issue may be reprinted ‘Final Solution,’ how the Nazi party instituted with proper acknowledgement. an atmosphere of hatred and dehumanization, Yad Vashem’s activities are supported by ■ On the cover: and what were the Jewish – and non-Jewish – Opening Ceremony the Ministry of Education of the Eighth responses to it all. Only then can we use this International knowledge to promote the protection of human and the Claims Conference Conference on rights, the prevention of genocide and the fight Holocaust Education, against intolerance – all of which are important Valley of the Communities, and relevant topics in today’s world.” June 2012 2 Telling the Story, Teaching the Core The Eighth International Conference on Holocaust Education ■ Participants at one of the 81 professional workshops held during the three-day conference The conference was divided into three "We must go back to the and most effective pedagogical tools in the field days, each one focusing on specific objectives. in order to make the Holocaust a relevant and Minister of Education Gideon Sa’ar opened the core issues of the Shoah: significant issue in their teaching,” explained conference, and Yad Vashem Chairman Avner what actually happened conference director Ephraim Kaye, Director of Shalev presented a lecture on “Educational International Seminars for Educators at the Challenges in the 21st Century.” The first day and what were the International School for Holocaust Studies. “In was then dedicated to learning, with some 25 Jewish – and non-Jewish – addition, eighty percent of the presenters were experts from Yad Vashem's International Institute Yad Vashem graduates, who illustrated to their for Holocaust Research as well as prominent responses to it all. Only peers the most successful examples of what Israeli academics presenting the main topics actually works in the classroom.” in Holocaust education, including the history then can we use this The final day was directed towards “special of antisemitism, Nazi racial ideology, armed knowledge to promote interest groups”: Holocaust and Jewish museum resistance, rescue attempts, the death camps directors; Jewish educators in formal and and postwar trials, as well as the roles of faith, the protection of human informal Jewish education; and teachers of literature and art in the Holocaust. rights, the prevention of Holocaust curricula on the college level. One Day Two concentrated on teaching, with of the panel speakers was the Rev. James 81 workshops (nine in Spanish) focusing on genocide and the fight LaMacchia, Associate Chaplain and Religious how to make the core issues relevant in the against intolerance" Studies teacher at Saint Mark’s School in classroom. “The participants received the latest Maryland (USA). “Many US secondary schools Avner Shalev education 3 Eighty percent of the presenters were Yad Vashem graduates, who illustrated to their peers the most successful examples of what actually works in the classroom only offer a unit on the Shoah scattered among such courses as American History or World Literature,” explained LaMacchia. “Because it is easy to trivialize and diminish the Holocaust in a ‘culture of victimization,’ educators are challenged to present the Shoah in all of its complexity, so that students understand its absolutely unique character and continuing resonance in world history and politics. Despite an ever-expanding curriculum, we educators must take the time to present the social, political, economic and cultural factors and events that led to the Shoah.” LaMacchia also stressed the success of utilizing survivor testimony in Holocaust ■ Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev (center) with conference delegates education, explaining that it “allows the students from around the world to connect the history to real people whose lives were directly affected by the events.” In during the war. Internationally renowned The lecture was in memory of Benefactors of fact, the final session of the conference was author and Holocaust survivor Dr. Samuel the International School and the conference devoted to this very issue, with nine Holocaust Pisar gave the final keynote speech, which Izzy and Babs (Ruth) Asper, z”l. survivors offering participants the chance to included sections of Leonard Bernstein's The International Conference was generously Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish” combined with supported by the Asper Foundation, the Adelson hear their personal stories and ask pertinent Family Foundation and the Conference on Jewish questions about their firsthand experiences Pisar's composition, “A Dialogue with God." Material Claims Against Germany. Asper Foundation Renews Support for Holocaust Education ■ The Asper Foundation of Canada recently The Asper Foundation is chaired by David announced the renewal of its support of Yad Asper. His brother, Leonard Asper, is Vice-Chair, Vashem’s educational efforts for an additional and their sister Gail Asper is the Foundation’s five years. This welcome decision means that president. The Asper family remains active the Winnipeg-based family foundation will in many