Jewish Federation Offers New Educational Resources for International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Jewish Federation of San Diego County (Federation) along with ADL San Diego and The Butterfly Project will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 with educational resources, a new online video library, and a Speakers Bureau of Survivors — all now available for teachers, educators, and administrators to incorporate into lessons and other conversations with young learners. Designated by the United Nations General Assembly as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Federation’s resource page for teachers and educators to display in their classroom includes a designed image that says “Never Again–I stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism,” along with links to different digital curricular resources, a Holocaust Survivor Speakers Bureau, a video library, and partner organizations with other resources. National resources from U.S. Holocaust Museum and Yad Vashem are also available at jewishinsandiego.org/holocaust-education. “Education about the Holocaust is critical for future generations and provides opportunities to explore themes of tolerance, humanity, and the importance of being an upstander,” said Darren Schwartz, Chief Planning & Strategy Officer at Jewish Federation. “The San Diego Jewish Community is deeply appreciative of all educators who incorporate these lessons into their curriculum. We know that these topics and conversations can be difficult and appreciate them taking the time to explore them with their students.”

On Sunday January 30, Federation and the Butterfly Project are offering a Zoom webinar for educators; they will receive a free resource box, meet Survivors who speak in classrooms, and hear from teens how learning about the Holocaust has been valuable to them.

Federation works year-round to support local Holocaust survivors in the San Diego area, some of which experience poverty and isolation. This year’s Remembrance Day is also a reminder of the recent acts of antisemitism, which have increased nationally over the last year. Last week, an armed gunman took a rabbi and three congregants hostage near Dallas, Texas.