The International School for Holocaust Studies

Tentative Structure of the Conference

June 18th – Pre-conference day-Monday

13:00 - 17:00 Optional
- Guided tours of Holocaust History Museum
- Guided tours of the Holocaust Art museum
- The Reflections Center
- The Visual Center

18:00                 pick up participants at the hotels

18:30-20:00     SUPPER at Yad Vashem

20:00-21:30     Opening of 8th International Conference – Valley of the Communities
                           Chava Alberstein

21:30                 back to hotels

June 19th - Tuesday- Day 1

Intensive Learning Day

One this day 20-25 lectures on the core topics of the Holocaust will be presented by Yad Vashem scholars and other Israeli academics in order to provide the participants with current research and in depth knowledge.

TEACHING THE CORE: HISTORICAL ISSUES OF THE HOLOCAUST

1. Prewar Jewish life (1919-1939)
2. Antisemitism
3. Nazi Ideology and the Jews
4. Nazi Germany and the Jews– 1933-1939
5. Ghettos/Jewish Leadership in the Holocaust
6. Jewish Youth Movements and the Holocaust
7. Spiritual and Armed Resistance in the Ghettos and Forests
8. The Final Solution/ Camps
9. Vatican and the Jews
10. Allies and the Holocaust
11. Righteous Among the nations/ Jews saving Jews
12. Trials of War Criminals- Nuremberg/Eichmann

TELLING THE STORY OF THE HOLOCAUST: DIFFERENT THEMES

1. Survivors/Testimony
2. Holocaust Literature in the ghettos and camps
3. Nazi Medicine/ Jewish Medicine during the Holocaust
4. Religious Jews and the Holocaust
5. Art and the Holocaust
6. Music and the Holocaust
7. Women and the Holocaust
8. Children and the Holocaust
9. Faith and Philosophical Issues during the Holocaust

June 20th - Wednesday- Day 2

Pedagogical Day- While the Holocaust stands as a paradigm in the 20th century its universal implications and connections to acts of intolerance and violence cannot be dismissed. Day two will address these connections through the presentation of educational workshops.

We intend to present 100-120 outstanding interdisciplinary, educational workshops that will be based on the same core issues of the first day. This will enable workshop participants to investigate the various disciplines of Holocaust study and engage in meaningful discussions on the applicability of the Holocaust to today’s issues in both the classroom and greater community.

A call for papers will be issued for this day ONLY

June 21st - Thursday- Day 3

Special Interest Group Focus Day-

This day will be dedicated to 4 special interest groups. Participants will be able to choose their respective area of interest:
A. Directors and Educational Directors of Holocaust museums and centers and Jewish museums worldwide
B. Jewish educators in both formal and informal Jewish Education
C. Educators teaching a Holocaust curriculum on the college/university level and in public/ private and parochial high schools
D. High School teachers wishing to investigate Echoes and Reflections: a multi-media, multi-disciplinary, teaching curriculum for high school students in North America.