On September, 28-30 Tkuma Central Ukrainian Holocaust Foundation under the auspices of Pincus Fund, The L.A. Pincus Fund for Jewish Education in Diaspora, held “Holocaust: interdisciplinary approach”, seminar for teachers of Jewish schools. 38 teachers from Kyiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Belaya Tserkov’, Donetsk, Kharkov, Chernigov, Simpheropol’ and Krivoy Rog took part in the seminar.

Teachers discussed possible ways to include the Holocaust history into curricula and to combine diversified educational materials while preparing school lessons. They also discussed the question of what is more important – historical fact or realizing the catastrophe within the spiritual world perception.

On the second day of the seminar Larisa Volovik (the director of “Drobitskiy Yar” Kharkov committee) invited the organizers and participants of the seminar to the excursion in Drobitskiy Yar and the Holocaust museum. Teachers were delivered lectures on the museum subjects, exposition of the museum and Yar history. Excursionists also visited the Wall of Sorrow situated on the territory of Jewish ghetto dates back to the Great Patriotic war.

After the excursion teachers had conversation with Igor Shchupak (Director of Tkuma Central Ukrainian Holocaust Foundation) and Dr. Aharon Weiss who wished the guests fruitful work on the revival of national consciousness of Jewish nation. Dr. Shchupak emphasized that “Holocaust is not the history of destruction but of resistance”; he also asked the teachers to collaborate in writing the exercise books on the world and Holocaust history.
During discussion teachers thanked Tkuma Center for their great assistance in providing educational materials and conducting various competitions, conferences, seminars for teachers and pupils of Jewish and non Jewish schools.

On the lessons of psychologist Tatyana Vollis, who regularly visits Tkuma Center seminars, participants studied psychological part of the questions raised. The most topical question this time was the question about the age children should be taught the comprehensive topic of the Holocaust.

On the seminar all the present had an opportunity to watch the documentary film “The tree under the window”, feature film “Life is wonderful” and two educational films of Tkuma Center. The participants reacted in different ways – they perceived the feature film more emotionally, and other films became the ground for the discussion - how they can be used in the lessons and in out-of-school activity.

On the last day of the seminar Tkuma conducted a round table “Teaching the Holocaust: experience and problems”, where every participant summed up the results of his work. Teachers shared with advice, practical examples from life and conclusions made during the seminars. However the teachers unanimously came to a decision to cooperate with non Jewish schools and help them to study Jewish culture.

Natalya Nechunaeva