TOLI - The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights

Antocica Rodica teaches at the Mălăiesti Theoretical High School in the Republic of Moldova. Last year, Antocica received a TOLI Impact Grant, which funded her classroom’s project, “Human Rights Promoted by Students from Mălăiesti.” The project connected learning about human rights with the historical realities of the Holocaust. Students researched specific dates and topics, and used their findings to create informative and creative panels to display throughout their school. Working collaboratively on these panels fostered teamwork and developed students’ communication skills, while helping them understand the importance of studying history and learning from - and not solely about - it.

Antocica is dedicated to teaching about the Holocaust because doing so “develops [students’] sense of responsibility - not only for themselves, but for everything that surrounds us. Teaching them to respect human rights, equality, other ethnicities, religions, and visions is so important in today’s society.”

Only one country in Europe had a higher population of Jews after the Holocaust than before. Can you guess which?

If you guessed Albania, you’re right. And for the first time, we are holding a TOLI seminar here in Elbasan! This program is in partnership with the Albanian Association of History Teachers.

The week’s highlights include hearing from children of Holocaust survivors, experiencing TOLI’s interdisciplinary approach to Holocaust education, learning about Jewish culture/traditions and Holocaust distortion, discussing how to teach the Holocaust to students of all ages, and exploring ways in which archives can be used in educational processes.

With assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance and the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future.


Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany)

Sheri Laman is a K-8 teacher for gifted students in New Jersey. Last month, Sheri attended our seminar in Northern Virginia/Washington, DC, titled “Bringing Human Rights Into the Classroom Through Exploration of the Holocaust and Local Histories of Racial Injustice.”

“I loved the ability to spend a week (versus a one-day workshop) collaborating and learning with my colleagues,” Sheri reported after attending the seminar. “I am impressed with the level of thought that went into the experiences offered. The varied topics, speakers, and site visits allowed us to frame the Holocaust with current history and places. I appreciate the extensive knowledge and expertise the speakers (and facilitators) had.”

In New Jersey, Holocaust education is mandated for students. Sheri plans to add an elementary set of lessons to her classes, which will introduce the Holocaust in an age-appropriate manner.

”I am alive today because my grandfather immigrated to the US just before the war. His entire family perished, so Holocaust education has always been a part of who I am. As a Gifted and Talented [students’] teacher, I have the ability to create my own curriculum. My focus has always been global studies and human rights education.”

Sheri also plans to integrate her TOLI seminar learnings into the unit she currently teaches on the Rwandan Genocide.

Our Italy seminar concluded today after a fascinating exploration of Jewish life in Italy before, during, and after the Holocaust. This program is in partnership with CDEC Foundation (Foundation Jewish Contemporary Documentation Center).

During this seminar, we learned about past and current antisemitism, and discussed how we can work with students to counter hate in the future. We discussed prevalent manifestations of Holocaust distortion, and identified ways to counter them through Holocaust education.

We toured the Jewish Museum of Merano, the Jewish Cemetery of Bolzano, and the area that was once the concentration camp in Bolzano. We visited the Archives of Bolzano, and discussed how students can learn from them. We also heard from two children of Holocaust survivors, Franca Avataneo and Peter Langer, who shared their families’ stories.

Our Italy seminar is taking place in the framework of the project, “Combating Holocaust Denial and Distortion through Active Citizenship, Remembrance and Education,” implemented by a consortium of European organizations including Fondazione CDEC (in partnership with TOLI), and co-funded by the European Union and TOLI.

A group of 29 educators, teachers, researchers, archivists and museum professionals from Serbia and North Macedonia have gathered this week at our seminar in Subotica and Palic. This program equips participants with historical knowledge and methods for combating stereotypes and prejudices, as well as countering antisemitism and Holocaust distortion.

We are learning about the Holocaust in Serbia and Europe; the life of Jewish people before, during, and after the Holocaust; identifying and combating present-day antisemitism and Holocaust distortion; and anti-Roma racism and the Roma genocide during the Holocaust.

We are exploring educational tools including graphic novels in Holocaust education, testimony from descendants of survivors, and visits with the Jewish community in Subotica.

Through these tools and topics, we develop approaches for inspiring students to become active citizens in the face of social injustice.

Our Serbia seminar is taking place in the framework of the project, “Combating Holocaust Denial and Distortion through Active Citizenship, Remembrance and Education,” implemented by a consortium of European organizations including Terraforming NGO (in partnership with TOLI), and co-funded by the European Union, Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund, and TOLI.

Romania was once home to one of Europe’s largest Jewish communities. During the Holocaust, nearly 400,000 Jews were killed in Romania (or territories it controlled as an ally of N**i Germany), and only 10,000 Jews live in the country today.

Horaţiu Suciu is a history teacher and deputy headmaster at the Iulia Hasdeu Theoretical High School in Lugoj, Romania. He recognizes how little young Romanians know about the Holocaust and Romanian Jewish history, and is determined to change that.

As an educator, Horaţiu sought out professional development in Holocaust education. He attended seminars in various cities before attending a TOLI seminar in Romania, which he described as a “very important experience.” TOLI later provided funding that helped Horaţiu create and publish a relevant graphic novel.

Horaţiu has since created a course on Jewish history and the Holocaust. Besides classroom learning, it involves after-school participation in commemorative events and lectures on Elie Wiesel, a Romanian Holocaust survivor who wrote extensively on genocide.

“As a history teacher, I try to make a difference,” said Horaţiu. “Students need to understand the Holocaust, its consequences and lessons today. We owe that to the victims.”

Our first seminar in Slovakia took place in Bratislava this week! The 5-day program was in partnership with the Holocaust Documentation Center.

We heard from Holocaust survivor Pavol Kucera, visited Jewish cemeteries and the Museum of Jewish Culture, and partook in a Virtual IWalk around Bratislava to retrace the steps of Holocaust survivor Gabriella Karin.

Lecture and workshop topics included Teaching With Testimony, Roma Genocide during the Holocaust, Holocaust Denial and Distortion, and Teaching for Combating Antisemitism. Speakers included Anna Miskova, historian for the Museum of Romani Culture; Wolf Kaiser, previous Deputy Director of the House of the Wannsee Conference in Berlin; Jan Hlavinka, Director of the Holocaust Documentation Center; and Aleksandra Fishel, Education Program Director for the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative.

With assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance and the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future.


ESJF European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative
Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany)

UPCOMING PROGRAM FOR WASHINGTON TEACHERS:

Allyship and Implications of Memory: Learning about the Holocaust and Japanese American Incarceration

November 7, 2024 (Zoom presentation) and November 8-10, 2024 (In person workshop, Holocaust Center for Humanity: 2045 2nd Avenue, Seattle)

Washington state teachers will earn one clock hour for attendance at the Zoom presentation on November 7th, and up to 18 hours for participation in the workshop. Educators coming from outside the greater Seattle area are eligible to obtain a travel stipend up to $150.

In this immersive 3-day workshop, following an introductory Zoom presentation on November 7th open to all who are interested, participants will explore the dynamics of cultural memory, what influences our collective understanding of history, and how memory is shaped by diverse experiences, perspectives, and contexts. We will delve into the memorialization of the Holocaust and the Japanese American wartime incarceration to explore how and why different communities remember the past, how memory can contribute to individual and group identities, the role of museums, memorials, and archives in preserving and transmitting memory, and the intersections of historical traumas. The workshop presenters hope that these explorations will shed light on the complexities and interconnectedness of shared histories, underlining the importance of allyship, empathy, and solidarity in our pursuit of a more inclusive understanding of the past to inform our present civic responsibilities.

Learn more and apply to attend at https://holocaustcenterseattle.org/teach/upcoming-professional-development

The first TOLI seminar for teachers in Slovakia is taking place in Bratislava this week, organized in partnership with the Holocaust Documentation Center.

The official opening of the event was attended by Stefan Kruschke, Head of the Culture and Press Department at the German Embassy in Bratislava, who highlighted the importance of Holocaust education and combating antisemitism in our present societies.

In the first part of the seminar, teachers learned about the Holocaust in Slovakia and visited the Museum of Jewish Culture in Bratislava. They explored how the mechanisms of stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination function, and analyzed a series of antisemitic tropes, which offered understanding on how the Holocaust was made possible. A highlight was the testimony of Holocaust survivor, Pavol Kucera, who shared his experience in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Upcoming programming includes workshops on using various resources for Holocaust education, and methodological sessions that guide teachers through designing meaningful educational activities for their students.

With assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance and the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future.


Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany)
Dokumentačné stredisko holokaustu

Alisha Schulz is a Grade 7-8 ELA teacher at Valley-Edinburg High School in North Dakota. Last year, Alisha attended our seminar in New York City, which explored Jewish life before and after the Holocaust, contemporary and historical antisemitism, and how our study of the Holocaust connects us to the past and the present. Teachers engaged with these topics through readings and discussions at our Memorial Library, excursions to the Museum of Jewish Heritage and Ellis Island, guest lectures, musical events, and a Shabbat service. The curriculum was based in careful writing practice that allowed for sustained focus and deepening awareness of how we can best teach about the Holocaust today – especially considering current pressures on educators facing restrictive speech laws and other obstacles in their schools and communities.

Why donate to TOLI? Your support will sponsor a teacher,* fund an Impact Grant,** provide general support for programming, and more.

Please donate at toli.us/donate

*All TOLI programs are provided at no cost to teachers. Your sponsorship will help underwrite a teacher’s participation at an in-person, four- or five-day regional seminar.

**Teachers in the US and Europe who have attended TOLI seminars are eligible to apply for Impact Grants. These grants help fund books, speakers, and visits to Holocaust museums and other memorial sites, as well as local projects for students and their communities.

Our Georgia (country) seminar took place in Tbilisi last week, in partnership with the Education and Research Center in Georgia, with assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance and the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future.

TOLI’s European seminars have taken place this year in Greece, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Georgia, and will soon take place in Italy, Serbia, Albania, Croatia, and Slovakia. These programs are designed to fit within the context of each country’s Holocaust history and contemporary issues of human rights.

Seminar graduates have the opportunity to apply for TOLI’s Impact Grants, which allow teachers to organize meaningful local projects with their students. These projects give students from various towns and countries the opportunity to interact and learn about the Holocaust, human rights, and European Jewish history.

Learn more about TOLI’s European seminars at toli.us. Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany)

Last week, we visited African American historical sites in Northern Virginia as part of our seminar, “Bringing Human Rights Into the Classroom Through Exploration of the Holocaust and Local Histories of Racial Injustice.” The program, which took place in Northern Virginia and Washington DC, was in partnership with Loudoun County Public Schools, Congregation Sha’are Shalom, JCRC of Greater Washington, and NoVaChai.

Led by Pastor Michelle Thomas from Loudoun County Freedom Center, we visited an African American school that is currently under restoration; Pastor Michelle explained the history of segregation and its impact on the education of African-American students. On the steps of the old courthouse, Pastor Michelle explained the complex history of Loudoun County, including representation of African American veterans in war memorials. We visited the former Douglass High School, now a thriving community and research center. We finished with a somber visit to the African American Burial Ground for the Enslaved, (located at the former Belmont Plantation) in Ashburn, Virginia.

We concluded the week with Shabbat service at Congregation Sha’are Shalom.


Loudoun County Public Schools
JCRC of Greater Washington

Our seminar, “Bringing Human Rights Into the Classroom Through Exploration of the Holocaust and Local Histories of Racial Injustice” in Northern Virginia and Washington DC concludes today.

In partnership with Loudoun County Public Schools, Congregation Sha’are Shalom, JCRC of Greater Washington, and NoVaChai, the seminar explored the complexities of and connections between the Holocaust and racism in the United States. Using inquiry and writing-based pedagogy, we engaged with texts and primary sources (including Holocaust survivor testimony) to understand how resistance, remembrance, and reflection of tragic historical events can inspire change in today’s world.

We visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) headquarters, a local synagogue, and African American historical landmarks. Together, we developed action plans to implement Project-Based Learning units in the teachers’ classrooms, and collaborated to critically analyze painful pasts and develop a pedagogy of hope.

We are in Tbilisi for our Georgia seminar, in partnership with the Education and Research Center, joined by our fantastic speakers from the Zachor Foundation for Social Remembrance, University of Vienna, The New School of Social Sciences (NYC), and Maynooth University.

The Jewish Community of Georgia welcomed our teachers with open arms as we toured the synagogue in Tbilisi and the David Baazov Museum of History of the Jews in Georgia and Georgian-Jewish Relations. Teachers learned about the important friendship between Georgians and Jews, and were excited to receive our TOLI Handbook, now available in Georgian! Our handbook features interactive activities that help students to personally connect with historical topics.

During TOLI seminars, teachers learn how to navigate the complexities of teaching about the Holocaust. Some topics we are currently covering at this seminar include "Representation of the Holocaust in Video Games," "Working With Testimonies," and "Intercultural Education and Competences for Democratic Culture." These discussions improve teachers' ability to engage and connect with their students, and promote democratic culture.

With assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance and the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future.

Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany)
Jewish Community Of Georgia

“It is when we enter our classrooms with humanity, ready to be active learners alongside our students, that the magic happens.”

TOLI Leader Bridgett Paddock is an English Language Arts teacher from Billings, Montana.

Bridgett believes that students need a space to learn, grow, and become critically thinking humans - and that TOLI’s model enables these spaces to exist.

Bridgett is dedicated to creating contributing citizens of our communities by building positive relationships with her students and colleagues, and helping them become as successful as possible.

This month, she is starting a Master’s program in Educational Leadership. We are excited for her to embark on this new venture, and share her learnings through her inspiring TOLI leadership!

TOLI’s seminar, “Lessons From the Past: Understanding the Holocaust and Human Rights,” took place last week in Portland, Oregon!

This seminar provides educators with an opportunity to expand their understanding of the Holocaust, antisemitism, anti-Asian policy in the United States, and the impact of American federal policy on Indigenous groups.

Teachers explored ways to integrate instruction on racial and ethnic discrimination (especially within the context of Jewish, Asian, and Indigenous peoples), and learned ways to address Oregon’s Holocaust and Genocide, Tribal History/Shared History, and Ethnic Studies mandates.

In partnership with the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.


Oregon Jewish Community Foundation
Jewish Federation of Greater Portland

Daniel L. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania is a dedicated Catholic school educator who is passionate about teaching the Holocaust in his classrooms. Two weeks ago, Daniel attended TOLI’s first seminar for Catholic school educators, “We Remember: Exploring the Holocaust and Antisemitism,” in Oakland, California.

The seminar’s title was inspired by “We Remember-A Reflection on the Shoah,” where Pope John Paul II beseeches, “May the Lord of history guide the efforts of Catholics and Jews and all men of good will as they work together for a world of true respect for the life and dignity of every human being, for all have been created in the image and likeness of God.”

“There’s such a deep history of anti-Judaism in the Catholic Church,” TOLI’s Executive Director, Deborah Lauter, explained to The Jewish News of Northern California. “The pedagogy is not just about content, but trying to get to their hearts and minds.”

“Worlds Apart But Not Strangers: Holocaust Education and Indian Education for All” took place last week in Billings, Montana. The week-long seminar explored the connections between Jewish and American Indigenous experiences. Programming included visits to Northern Cheyenne, Crow Agency, and the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, and Beth Aaron Synagogue.

Educators joined us from Montana, Georgia, Massachusetts, and New Mexico.

This program was in partnership with the Elk River Writing Project at MSU-Billings and Congregation Beth Aaron.

Last week, educators joined us in Billings, Montana for a six-day seminar, “Worlds Apart But Not Strangers: Holocaust Education and Indian Education for All.” This program explored historic and contemporary antisemitism and Indigenous experience in the United States, and the connections between Jewishness and American Indigeneity.

We examined the past, including the impact of policies issued during the Holocaust and U.S. policies that impacted Native peoples. We examined the present, as participants considered the roles – perpetrator, ally, bystander – individuals choose for themselves in their daily interactions with one another, as well as stereotypes and biases that influence interactions in local schools and communities today.

Throughout the seminar, educators were asked to envision the kind of world they hope their children will live in, and design action plans to help their classrooms, schools, and/or communities move toward those ideals.

Program highlights included field experiences to enhance knowledge about the Billings Jewish community and the Native peoples of Montana.

In partnership with the Elk River Writing Project at MSU—Billings and Congregation Beth Aaron.



Photos taken by Duane Yazzie

Today, we conclude TOLI’s 13th annual seminar in Romania.

Since 2012, TOLI has organized professional development seminars in partnership with the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania and the Intercultural Institute of Timisoara.

TOLI’s Romania seminar explores antisemitism, Romanian Jewish life, the Holocaust in Northern Transylvania, the Roma genocide, and the memory of the Holocaust in the post-Communist era.

This year, educators met with Holocaust survivor Vasile Szekely; viewed a theatre performance on the Roma genocide in Romania; toured the street where Olga Lengyel and her family lived before the Holocaust; and explored museums, synagogues, and sites relevant to Jewish life and history.

Next week, we will be in Georgia (country)! Stay tuned…



Institutul National pentru Studierea Holocaustului din Romania Elie Wiesel

There's still time to register for our webinar to commemorate the Days of Remembrance (Yom HaShoah).

The topic of this program is The Kindertransport: The 10,000 Rescued Children and the Million Who Perished.

Sunday, May 5, 11:00 AM (ET)

Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vqsGAmGASBStPoY1KClFNw #/registration

Featuring:

Alice Masters, a Holocaust survivor who escaped Czechoslovakia in 1939 on the Kindertransport with her two sisters, thanks to the efforts of Nicholas Winton. Nearly 99 years of age, she resides in Washington, DC.

Melissa Hacker, the Executive Director of the Kindertransport Association, a network of survivors and descendants. Her mother, Ruth Morley, escaped Vienna through the Kindertransport.

Moderated by Arthur Berger, former International Director of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and TOLI Board Member. He is an expert on US government policy and the Holocaust.

In collaboration with The Kindertransport Association, The New York Board of Rabbis, Inc., and 3GNY - A NYC-Based Organization for Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors