Teaching about the Holocaust for a better future (counteracting xenophobia and exclusion)
Educational project of the Bente Kahan Foundation, financed by the City of Wrocław.
The project is dedicated for teachers, educators and students of primary and high schools, but other target groups, such as senior citizens, will also find it interesting. Two exhibitions located at the Center for Jewish Culture and Education in the White Stork Synagogue serve as a starting point for the project. One on them is the “Unfinished lives” exhibition, presenting the biographies and works of artists who were active before and during WWII and lost their lives in the Holocaust. The other one, “State of deception: The power of Nazi propaganda”, shows the mechanisms, thought processes and influence of propaganda.
As a part of the project we cooperated with exceptional teachers and methodologists to create lesson scenarios compatible with the core curriculum of subjects such as history, Polish language and literature, social studies and ethics. All of the scenarios were compiled into a methodological handbook. The educational film “Look into my eyes…” directed by Paweł Sala is also attached to every copy of the book. It can be a good introduction to the topic and can also serve as a starting point for a discussion with students.
You can find all the materials at the website of the project.
The creators of the project hold a strong belief that education must focus not only on understanding history but also the current events. Learning about the Holocaust and the events and tendencies that led up to it should start a discussion about xenophobia, exclusion, tolerance and mutual respect, about the choices we and our students make today and the influence we have on the future of our society.
We invite you to familiarize yourselves with our educational materials and to lead a lesson in the White Stork Synagogue.
