FSWC Education Report - November 29, 2017

November 29, 2017

Education Report

< Back to News Room

Today, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) Director of Education Melissa travelled with Holocaust survivor Faigie Libman to Courtice, Ontario to present a Lessons and Legacies of the Holocaust workshop to a group of Catholic high school students. The program is a great example of the solid relationships that are formed through FSWC's programs. The organizing teacher was a part of the Holocaust Certificate Course for Educators taught this past summer by Melissa; the teacher wanted to bring survivor testimony to her school this fall after building a relationship with Melissa and the survivors who shared their testimony.  The teacher's motivation for becoming involved in Holocaust education was certainly rooted in personal interest, but inspired by her school board's Director of Education, who is working diligently to implement an innovative, hands-on Holocaust education program in the school board. The school board's Director of Education, Michael Nasello, has been involved with FSWC for a number of years throughout his career. While working for different school boards, Michael has been instrumental in implementing meaningful Holocaust education programs. Building these relationships has allowed FSWC's reach into school boards across Ontario to strengthen and grow, resulting in meaningful, inspiring programs such as this. 

The students were attentive throughout the presentation, many commenting afterwards about the impact of listening to someone who had actually lived the history they were learning about in class. The organizing teacher's class wanted to do something for Faigie so they planned a special luncheon. Each student made/brought in food to share with her. That gave the students one-on-one time to ask questions and to have a personal connection with Faigie.

Tour for Humanity was also on the road today in North York at a private school. This was our first time bringing the Tour to this school so they were very excited to experience it. FSWC Educator Elena worked with Grades 3-5 students with the Simon's Story presentation and the Canadian Experience for the Grade 6 students. Many students had read the book Hana's Suitcase in preparation for the Tour for Humanity visit and there was a lot of knowledge about World War II for this age group. Elena made sure to emphasize the fact that Simon Wiesenthal experienced hatred in the form of antisemitism and decided to do something about it by becoming a Nazi hunter after World War II. Elena told the students that they had the power to stand against hatred - it starts with being kind to those around you and reaching out when you can see someone being excluded.

Because many students had some background with the Holocaust and World War II in general, Elena had tons of questions in each of the groups which was great. There was one student in Grade 4 who asked a very thoughtful question. She wanted to know why World War I and World War II were called "world wars" as compared with other wars before this time and why people talk about "World War III" happening in the future. Elena explained the fact that these were the first global wars in some ways, with fighting happening far beyond Europe's borders. She mentioned the fact that during World War I there was fighting happening in North-East Africa in the colonies of Germany and the Ottoman Empire, during World War II a lot of the war took place in Asia, and that this was the first time that technology like airplanes and submarines were being used and a lot of fighting happened in the Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, etc. Elena also pointed out that while these wars were actually happening people used different terms. World War I was generally called "The Great War" and it wasn't until World War II happened that World War I was given that name because there was a strong connection between these two conflicts. Another interesting question came from a Grade 5 student who wanted to know exactly when Hitler switched from his desire to become an artist to becoming a "crazy dictator." Elena explained a little bit about his failed art career but she also pointed out that part of why he wasn't seen as being a very good artist was he was much more "traditional" than the German art scene of the time and he later tried to destroy the modern trends in German art. In a sense his artistic vision fit very well with his obsession with Germany's glorious past.