Holocaust Education in the Classroom

By Hilary Bachman

Questions about the Holocaust

Some educators have argued that students are overexposed to the Holocaust curriculum (AKA Holocaust fatigue).

The Holocaust used to serve as the main way to teach about genocide; however, more recent genocides in Sudan and Rwanda are starting to replace it.

The StandardsThe GPS includes the Holocaust twice in the

curriculum- once in middle school and once in high school

6th grade- “identify Nazi ideology, policies, and consequences that led to the Holocaust”

World History- “explain the impact of WWII in terms of the Holocaust”

Best Practices (according to the literature)

What NOT to do when teaching the Holocaust:Statistics, graphic images and generalizationsSimulations or role-playing

What to DO:Engage in memoirs and first hand accountsTeach the Holocaust as a world-wide phenomenonKnow the material wellFocus on a central question

InterviewsSince I am not currently teaching I got my research

from Holocaust organizations.

The first interview was with the head of education at the William Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum in Atlanta, GA

The second interview was with the head of education at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, D.C.

Each person was asked similar questions regarding their views on the relevance of the Holocaust, its inclusion in the curriculum, and best practices.

ResultsThe concept of Holocaust fatigue was denied,

stating that with millions of students the majority of them will not be learning too much about the Holocaust.

The Holocaust helps explain later genocides

We must preserve the victims’ memories; the best way to be respectful and sensitive is by better understanding their lives

Recommendations for Teachers

Like the literature said, NO simulations- they are offensive and ineffective teaching tools for the Holocaust

Graphic images can be used but the teacher must remember the context

Use inquiry-driven lessons

What the literature missed: the underrepresented topics such as: The peaceful Jewish resistance movement Diversity of experiences Women in the Holocaust The loss of Jewish identity and culture

“History has shown that wherever anti-Semitism has gone unchecked, the persecution of others has been present or not far behind. Defeating anti-Semitism must be a cause of great importance not only for Jews, but for all people who value humanity and

justice….” *US Department of State, 2008

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