The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) recently held its fifth annual Holocaust teacher-training program at Columbia University in New York City. JTA reports that though six states - California, New Jersey, Florida, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts - mandate that the Holocaust be taught in their public schools, and another 11 states "recommend" it, they are not providing their teachers with training to do so. It is this void that the Jewish Foundation is filling, with a four-day seminar for 40 middle school and high school teachers.
JTA reports that the teachers said they used to receive their Holocaust education from the internet, museums and readings. The seminar, however, featured lectures by top scholars such as Nechama Tec, Henry Feingold, Deborah Dwork and Robert Jan van Pelt, followed by discussion groups to learn how to apply the lessons to their classrooms. For more information, see JFR's website "http://www.jfr.org/".
JTA reports that the teachers said they used to receive their Holocaust education from the internet, museums and readings. The seminar, however, featured lectures by top scholars such as Nechama Tec, Henry Feingold, Deborah Dwork and Robert Jan van Pelt, followed by discussion groups to learn how to apply the lessons to their classrooms. For more information, see JFR's website "http://www.jfr.org/".