by Nava Weiss

“The lectures opened up new vistas of thought; the tour was brief but fascinating, and the workshops familiarized us with a variety of ways in which to teach the Holocaust.”
Participant in an educational seminar at Yad Vashem

While the quote above may seem relatively routine for a teacher participating in an educational seminar at Yad Vashem, it was not necessarily to be expected from this particular seminar, created especially for educators from the ultra-Orthodox population in Israel. It nevertheless points to a significant and positive development in the relationship between Yad Vashem and the ultra-Orthodox educational system, which began some six years ago with the opening of a special section in the International School for Holocaust Studies at the initiative of Yad Vashem Guardians Rudolph and Edith Tessler.

“The purpose of this section,” explains Director of Teacher Training at the School Dr. Haim Gertner, “is to generate an educational dialogue and explore possibilities to accommodate the needs of its population. Our aim is to help integrate Holocaust education into the ultra-Orthodox system’s existing Jewish history curriculum, based on the Biblical verse: ‘Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations. (Deut. 32:7)’”

This development has not been mono-directional. While Yad Vashem has recognized the need to develop a curriculum suitable for the ultra-Orthodox public, teachers in the ultra-Orthodox system felt a need for more extensive, structured and orderly Holocaust instruction in its educational institutions. A team of writers was thus formed, which included both Yad Vashem historians and educators, and teachers from the ultra-Orthodox sector. “We are doing our utmost to meet the needs of the ultra-orthodox population,” says Director of the School Dr. Motti Shalem. “We are not only developing our educational programs, but also using people who speak the same language as the members of this sector. We want them to learn about the Holocaust in a conscientious and serious manner.”

One of the first accomplishments of the new section was the production of a groundbreaking and impressive monograph series entitled Years Wherein We Have Seen Evil. The series was dedicated by Rudolph and Edith Tessler in memory of the children of Shlomo and Ether Tessler and the children of David and Fradel Hoffman. It deals with historical events during the Holocaust period with an emphasis on how religiously observant individuals—and the observant public as a whole—experienced and coped during the Shoah. It comprises four books, each of which is accompanied by a videotape of survivor testimonies. The first two volumes of the series present the story of German Orthodox Jewry during the 1930s and the daily life of the observant Jew in the ghetto. Publication of the third volume, devoted to rescue efforts during the Holocaust, is now underway, while the fourth volume, on the Final Solution, will be published in the coming year.

In addition, the ultra-Orthodox section at the School holds teacher-training activities in the field of Holocaust instruction and enrichment for three different target groups: teachers in the ultra-Orthodox school system and Beit Yaakov seminaries; pirchei hora’a—seminary pupils in the Beit Yaakov institutions; and teachers and melamdim in the Talmudei Torah for boys. The section has also supervised and trained Talmud Torah teachers and pirchei hora’a to work cooperatively on activities for 10th Tevet—Yom Hakaddish Haklali (the General Day of Mourning)—as well as during the bein hametzarim period between 17th Tammuz and 9th Av.

In addition, cooperative activity with the Jerusalem Municipality’s Department of Ultra-Orthodox Education has resulted in the development of a training program based on brief summer courses for teachers and Talmud Torah melamdim. The program took place at Yad Vashem, and included historical lectures supplemented with didactic workshops and lesson demonstrations prepared specifically for grades seven and eight. The program included meaningful discussions of the place of Yad Vashem in ultra-Orthodox education, with the participation of Yad Vashem Director General Nathan Eitan and School Director Dr. Motti Shalem. “Learning about the Shoah is very important to us,” said Jerusalem municipality representative Rabbi Gershon Bint. “We will make every effort to ensure that it is a legacy for all of society, through established, critical and responsible activities towards this end.”

“In light of the extensive experience we have accumulated over the past few years, and in light of the significant expansion of our educational activities as a whole, the School intends to continue, deepen and expand our programs for the ultra-Orthodox sector over the coming years,” said Shalem. “The educational activities will be implemented through increasing our cooperation with the different educational institutions and departments in the local municipalities, and with the aim of engaging schools that have yet to become involved.”

The author is Head of the Ultra-Orthodox Section in the Teacher Training Department at the International School for Holocaust Studies.
 

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