Biennially, in January, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand takes a group of educators from New Zealand to the International School for Holocaust Studies on the
Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for New Zealand Educators at Yad Vashem.
Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for New Zealand Educators at Yad Vashem.
HCNZ brings together teachers from a variety of schools and levels, from all over Aotearoa New Zealand to this intensive teacher training seminar at Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, Israel, where they get to learn from world experts in Holocaust education.
This programme provides:
- Pedagogy and theories on teaching the Holocaust in a safe manner to students
- Connections between the actions of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders before, during, and after the events of the Holocaust
- Curriculum from experts in the field of Holocaust education
- Meeting with Holocaust survivors
- Connections with the New Zealand Aotearoa Histories curriculum
UPDATE ON THE JANUARY 2023 INGE WOOLF MEMORIAL SEMINAR FOR NZ EDUCATORS AT YAD VASHEM
On the eve of 6 January 2023, we embarked with 26 teachers from as far north as Kaitaia and as far south as Dunedin. These teachers represented the vast spectrum of courses, students, and communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. The process to get these teachers to Israel was intensive and exhaustive to ensure that we had the best possible teachers attending the seminar delivered by world-renowned researchers and presenters. The teachers all had to fill out an in-depth application and then go through an interview process. HCNZ couldn’t be prouder of all these teachers for deciding to participate in this programme.
While in Israel, they participated in two and half weeks of rigorous sessions that were presented thematically to help teachers connect across topics and time. Key to all of the learning the teachers did while in Israel was the philosophy of “safely in, safely out.” This philosophy helps teachers in the classroom with presenting the very difficult, and often confronting, material in Holocaust education. Rather than using a shock and awe method, teachers focus on the individuals involved in the events of the Holocaust, and they focus on sharing age-appropriate videos or photos, and most importantly: they focus on telling the full life of the victim, not just the one instance of their death. There were so many amazing lecturers and topics that the teachers participated in, but overwhelmingly, the topics that teachers talked most about were a lecture on “North African Jewish Experience During the Holocaust” and the day they spent planning how they were going to use all of this new information in their classrooms. Throughout the courses, one of the themes that were consistently reinforced, and one teachers said they had not considered before, was the continuity of antisemitism and its continuing evolution into new forms to attack the Jewish community. Many said they had not considered how antisemitism had been around for so long and yet evolved into a new form with each age and the threat it poses to the Jewish community in Aotearoa and worldwide.
While in Israel, the teachers also got the chance to experience the unique cultural mix found throughout the country. Our first day trip was to the mountain fortress of Masada and the caves of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Afterwards, they spent time floating in the Dead Sea and relaxing away from the first intense week in Israel. Along with the seminars at Yad Vashem, the teachers took a trip to Lohamei HaGeta’ot, the Ghetto Fighters Kibbutz and Museum. Here, the teachers had the chance to see how survivors of the partisan groups in Europe documented their experiences, helped to set up a kibbutz for those survivors, and the way they memorialise events of the Holocaust. Afterwards, they had a chance to decompress along Dor Habonim Beach, a beautiful spot along the northern coast of Israel. On our very last day in Israel, we took the participants to Haifa to visit the Baha’i Gardens and the beauty of Israel’s most mixed city. We spent the evening sitting on Jerusalem Beach in Tel Aviv, drinking in a stunning beachside sunset and gorgeous weather.
While our new Yad Vashem grads are still processing all the information and experiences they had while in Israel, we know that everything they learned will enhance their teaching in the classroom and also enhance the work that HCNZ does around the nation. The teachers’ enthusiasm for expanding Holocaust education in Aotearoa is inspiring, and we know this is just the beginning.
We thank all the donors who made this trip possible. Thank you to the presenters and organisers at Yad Vashem for providing an enriching experience and world-class lectures. Lastly, we’d like to thank the participants for taking up this opportunity to travel to Israel, spend two and a half weeks learning and improving their skill set, and committing to Holocaust education in Aotearoa. We look forward to continuing to work with you and seeing what you do in the classroom!
While in Israel, they participated in two and half weeks of rigorous sessions that were presented thematically to help teachers connect across topics and time. Key to all of the learning the teachers did while in Israel was the philosophy of “safely in, safely out.” This philosophy helps teachers in the classroom with presenting the very difficult, and often confronting, material in Holocaust education. Rather than using a shock and awe method, teachers focus on the individuals involved in the events of the Holocaust, and they focus on sharing age-appropriate videos or photos, and most importantly: they focus on telling the full life of the victim, not just the one instance of their death. There were so many amazing lecturers and topics that the teachers participated in, but overwhelmingly, the topics that teachers talked most about were a lecture on “North African Jewish Experience During the Holocaust” and the day they spent planning how they were going to use all of this new information in their classrooms. Throughout the courses, one of the themes that were consistently reinforced, and one teachers said they had not considered before, was the continuity of antisemitism and its continuing evolution into new forms to attack the Jewish community. Many said they had not considered how antisemitism had been around for so long and yet evolved into a new form with each age and the threat it poses to the Jewish community in Aotearoa and worldwide.
While in Israel, the teachers also got the chance to experience the unique cultural mix found throughout the country. Our first day trip was to the mountain fortress of Masada and the caves of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Afterwards, they spent time floating in the Dead Sea and relaxing away from the first intense week in Israel. Along with the seminars at Yad Vashem, the teachers took a trip to Lohamei HaGeta’ot, the Ghetto Fighters Kibbutz and Museum. Here, the teachers had the chance to see how survivors of the partisan groups in Europe documented their experiences, helped to set up a kibbutz for those survivors, and the way they memorialise events of the Holocaust. Afterwards, they had a chance to decompress along Dor Habonim Beach, a beautiful spot along the northern coast of Israel. On our very last day in Israel, we took the participants to Haifa to visit the Baha’i Gardens and the beauty of Israel’s most mixed city. We spent the evening sitting on Jerusalem Beach in Tel Aviv, drinking in a stunning beachside sunset and gorgeous weather.
While our new Yad Vashem grads are still processing all the information and experiences they had while in Israel, we know that everything they learned will enhance their teaching in the classroom and also enhance the work that HCNZ does around the nation. The teachers’ enthusiasm for expanding Holocaust education in Aotearoa is inspiring, and we know this is just the beginning.
We thank all the donors who made this trip possible. Thank you to the presenters and organisers at Yad Vashem for providing an enriching experience and world-class lectures. Lastly, we’d like to thank the participants for taking up this opportunity to travel to Israel, spend two and a half weeks learning and improving their skill set, and committing to Holocaust education in Aotearoa. We look forward to continuing to work with you and seeing what you do in the classroom!
2023 Cohort's Pre-departure Orientation Seminar:
On 10-11 November 2022, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand hosted the pre-departure orientation seminar in Wellington for the participants going on the 2023 Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for NZ Educators at Yad Vashem. This phenomenal group bonded over these two days.
They had two sessions with Yad Vashem graduates from 2015, 2017, and 2019, on their experiences in Israel and what to expect, but most importantly, they had time to analyse the new school history curriculum, look at how what they are going to learn fits with the new curriculum, and the place Holocaust education has within the new standards.
On 10-11 November 2022, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand hosted the pre-departure orientation seminar in Wellington for the participants going on the 2023 Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for NZ Educators at Yad Vashem. This phenomenal group bonded over these two days.
They had two sessions with Yad Vashem graduates from 2015, 2017, and 2019, on their experiences in Israel and what to expect, but most importantly, they had time to analyse the new school history curriculum, look at how what they are going to learn fits with the new curriculum, and the place Holocaust education has within the new standards.
Background
Between 2013 - 2023*, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, in conjunction with Yad Vashem, has sent between 25-30 New Zealand educators every two years to attend an intensive study seminar at the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel.
These educators get to experience Jerusalem and other areas of Israel, meet Holocaust survivors, and bring home into their classrooms the many lessons and teaching practicum ideas learned from world leading experts in the field of Holocaust education.
Many seminar graduates reflect on this as a "life changing experience".
Beyond the seminar itself Yad Vashem graduates become part of our very cherished alumni, and continue as supported advocates in Holocaust education, turning present youth and future generations into global citizens.
The seminar underwent a name change in 2021 in honour of HCNZ's Founding Director and the person who initiated the NZ educators Yad Vashem seminar, Mrs Inge Woolf z"l.
*COVID-19 impacted us being able to undertake a 2021 seminar.
These educators get to experience Jerusalem and other areas of Israel, meet Holocaust survivors, and bring home into their classrooms the many lessons and teaching practicum ideas learned from world leading experts in the field of Holocaust education.
Many seminar graduates reflect on this as a "life changing experience".
Beyond the seminar itself Yad Vashem graduates become part of our very cherished alumni, and continue as supported advocates in Holocaust education, turning present youth and future generations into global citizens.
The seminar underwent a name change in 2021 in honour of HCNZ's Founding Director and the person who initiated the NZ educators Yad Vashem seminar, Mrs Inge Woolf z"l.
*COVID-19 impacted us being able to undertake a 2021 seminar.
