Martyrdom and Resistance, March/April 2015

ID Transcript mare4104_01 "AMERICAN & INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES FOR YAD VASHEM Vol. 41-No ISSN 0892-1571 arch/April 2015 - Adar/Nissan 5775 70 YEARS AFTER THE HOLOCAUST;!l!LElL RESEARCH, RESOURCES AND REMEMBitOTICF2 ASYV SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION ""T"" he Education Department of the American Society for Yad Vashem and its Young Leadership Associates held its seventeenth annual professional development conference on Holocaust education on March 22, 2015. This program is a collaborative effort with the Association of Teachers for Social Studies of the United Federation of Teachers, the Educators' Chapter of the UFT Jewish Heritage Committee, and the School of Education of Manhattanville College. Participants in this year's program, which included educators from all five boroughs of New York City and from the tri-state area, received in-service credits for completing the conference. The program also included a display of the educational unit developed by the International School of Holocaust Studies, ""Keeping the Memory Alive: International Poster Competition."" Through teaching we warn about the consequences of extreme and baseless hatred and prejudice. We educate to promote tolerance in the hope that through our efforts, future generations will make sure that the Holocaust, a low chapter in human history, will not repeat itself. This conference, organized by Dr. Marlene W. Yahalom, director of education of the American Society for Yad Vashem, has proven to be a strong vehicle to promote the mission of Holocaust remembrance and commemoration American Society, in 1999. Ron Meier, executive director of the American Society, gave greetings on behalf of the American Society and spoke about the importance of this program as one of many vehicles the American Society has to offer in its efforts to raise Holocaust awareness through education. Carolyn Herbst, past president /past chairperson of the ATSS/UFT, emphasized that this conference is a the conference participants, she emphasized the importance of learning from the lessons of the Holocaust. Carolyn remarked on the challenge of teaching this topic without reducing the topic to numbers and statistics, and emphasizing the human elements of the events — victims, rescuers, perpetrators and bystanders. Professor Karen Shawn, visiting associate professor of Jewish education at Azrieli School of Jewish students to realize the importance of documenting the Holocaust to meet the challenges of Holocaust denial. The workshop topics complemented the theme of the program: Using Survivor Testimonies in the Classroom; Ripples from the Holocaust — Learning about the Second Generation; German Rescuers of Jews: Unbelievable but True; and Global Perspectives on Holocaust Education — the Efforts of Germany, (Left to right) Helene Alalouf; Caroline Massel, executive board member; Abbi Halpern, YLA co-chair; Professor Karen Shawn; Marlene W. Yahalom, PhD, director of education, ASYV; Carolyn Herbst, past president, ATSS/UFT; Ron Meier, executive director, ASYV; Barry Levine, co- chair, YLA. IN THIS ISSUE through education over the years. The conference was created by valuable resource for increasing Education and Administration of Caroline Massel, founding chair of the awareness and sensitivity to intoler- Yeshiva University, spoke about Young Leadership Associates of the ance and injustice. In her remarks to ""Understanding Jewish Life in the Shadow of Destruction."" Her remarks offered a window of opportunity to learn about the bravery and heroism of Jews during the Holocaust. She My pilgrimage to Auschwitz to honor the ghosts of my murdered family...2 qave an informative and enqaqinq No banality in this evil 3 presentation of case studies of Soviet propaganda during World War II ...A Jewish heroes and heroines during How the Philippines saved 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust 5 the War A Holocaust survivor tells of Auschwitz at 18 and, again, at 90 6 Qur pr0qram ancj theme ""70 Years Photo highlights from the YLA winter gala 8-9 after the Holocaust: ' Research, Living with the shadow, creating with the light 10 Resources and Remembrance,"" UNESCO recognizes Yad Vashem's Holocaust testimonies 11 offered educators strategies on how to Surviving the Nazis, only to be jailed by America 15 incorporate Holocaust studies into their Save the date: ASYV Annual Spring Luncheon 16 |esson p|ans and currjcu|a to enab|e Israel and the US in This Process. The American Society for Yad Vashem has recently been awarded the 2015 President's Award by the Association of Teachers of Social Studies/United Federation of Teachers for the Society's contributions to social studies education nationally. This is the first time this award was given to an organization. The award represents the ATSS/UFT's recognition of the valuable part the American Society plays in social studies education, and of the American Society's turning to the ATSS/UFT for assistance in bringing (Continued on page 15) "