Teaching kids about the Holocaust
Education on the subject now mandatory in five states' public schools
ENID WEISS
The Jewish State
Parents often wonder how and when their children should learn about the Holocaust. But even in states like New Jersey, where Holocaust education has been mandatory in public schools since 1994, issues relating to teaching the subject are still generating questions among parents and educators.
While the message of Holocaust education is straight forward, experts say not all approaches are suitable for all students. The basics of how to teach this sensitive subject are still being worked out in communities such as Edison, N.J.
"I think our job in the public school is to teach that life is valuable - every life," said Maxine Cahn, a third-grade teacher in Edison and co-author of her district's elementary school Holocaust curriculum guide, "and that what happened in the Holocaust never should have happened."
Speaking recently to the Holocaust memorial committee of her community's Jewish federation, Cahn said her goal was to design lessons that teachers, students and parents can relate to.
The committee Cahn addressed meets every other month to plan a spring Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Rememberance Day) program and to learn more about Holocaust education in the schools. "We are always dealing with the issue of how to teach our children," said Gabriella Sadote, a local federation official. "We can't forget that there are many ways to look at it," she said.
"One of our major concerns is to make sure (anything like the Holocaust) never happens again," said Henry Frankel, 64, of Edison, a Holocaust survivor and member of the committee. "And the only way to do that is to teach young children."
The curriculum in Edison is designed to teach tolerance and prejudice reduction to younger children and introduce the Holocaust in fourth or fifth grades, Cahn explained. The 125-page packet includes sample lesson plans, a reading list, materials from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and a few pages of historical background for teachers to make sure they know what happened.
Holocaust education became mandatory under New Jersey state law in 1994, and the state's Department of Education offers curriculum guidelines to school districts. In addition to New Jersey, Holocaust education has been made mandatory in the public schools of California, Florida, Illinois and New York. No such proposal is under discussion in Arizona.
New Jersey's curriculum for elementary school children suggests focusing on learning that people are different, how to appreciate those differences and that prejudice hurts individuals and weakens the group as a whole. Members of the state's Holocaust commission were influential in establishing the current mandates. Their goal was to begin teaching children about tolerance and respect for one another at an early age.
"It's critical to start young," said Steven E. Some, chairman of the commission and a New Brunswick lobbyist. "People form their biases at an early age. We feel it's critical that all students learn tolerance. It's probably one of the most important lessons children can learn."
Edison's curriculum includes a mission statement. Part of it reads: "We want our learners to understand what can go wrong if democratic principles are missing. Our mission is to educate our future adult citizens to be dedicated to the protection of human rights now and into the 21st century."
Sensitivity to the audience
Some younger children are mature enough to handle more information, and parents might want to begin instruction at home, but the district-wide plan must account for more immature youngsters too, Cahn added. "We have to keep in mind that this is a public school and the children come to us with various backgrounds and maturities," Cahn said. "We wanted children to know that children were involved and there are stories that show how children can make a difference."
Most of the lessons are centered upon reading picture books with tolerance themes to children, followed by discussion. Another aspect is to send books and journals home with students. That way the parents and children read them together, which often opens the door for further discussions. Sometimes the parents even contribute to the child's book journal, Cahn said.
Often teachers feel overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of material the state requires them to teach, Cahn said. But Holocaust education does not have to be a separate subject.
"The literature is wonderful," Cahn said. "My point was: If you're going to read something, why not read something about tolerance?"
Cahn has produced a long list of suggested reading. Titles include:
- "If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island" by Ellen Levine;
- "The Lily Cupboard" by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim;
- "Fly Away Home" by Eve Bunting;
- "The Number on My Grandfather's Arm" by David Adler;
- "Why Are People Different? A Book About Prejudice" by Barbara Hazen; and
- "The Sneetches and Other Stories" by Dr. Seuss. (This book is also listed in the state's Holocaust education curriculum guide.)
Enid Weiss is a staff writer for The Jewish State, an independent weekly newspaper based in Highland Park, N.J., and covering central New Jersey.
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