Chapter 1: Why is Holocaust Education Relevant?

Teaching about the Holocaust can be overwhelming. How can we provide a meaningful learning experience for our students in a limited amount of time? What is an effective approach to making learning about the Holocaust relevant and meaningful to students in today's world? This Educator Video Toolbox is aligned to Echoes and Reflections, a comprehensive Holocaust education program that delivers professional development and a rich array of multimedia resources for middle and high school teachers. It sets forth the basic pedagogical framework to help you effectively teach the subject of the Holocaust, including teaching the Holocaust as a human story. In the center of this story are the Jewish victims, who lived in a world of dehumanization. We believe that when teaching about the victims we should teach about the choiceless choices that they confronted, as well as the instances of "light in the darkness" where their compassion and resistance were evident. Additionally, we should teach the human stories of the perpetrators, the bystanders and the Righteous Among the Nations. Professional development programs for middle and high school educators are taking place around the country; you can find one near you here. SPEAKERS Shani Lourie is a staff member of the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem, and its Head of Pedagogy. For additional information about Echoes and Reflections visit http://echoesandreflections.org/ Archival footage and photographs: Yad Vashem Photo Archive. Yad Vashem Film Archive. USC Shoah Foundation. Photographs of Hemda, courtesy of Rivka Peled, Israel Photographs of Bosak family, courtesy of Bosak family, Israel ARTWORK Zinovii Tolkatchev (1903-1977) Appell, 1944 Gouache, charcoal and crayon on paper. Gift of Zigmund A. Rolat, New York, in memory of his parents Henryk and Mania who perished in the Holocaust. Collection of the Yad Vashem Art Museum, Jerusalem.