Projects for Teachers

During February 17-24, (Israel) seminar for Ukrainian educators, organized by «Tkuma» Institute and Yad Vashem was held in Jerusalem. History teachers and educators, museum staff from different parts of Ukraine became the participants of the project.

During the week, they listened to the lectures by leading Yad Vashem specialists –Dr. Fred Drachinskyi, Dr. Anna Novikov, together with Noah Sigal and Olga Duke, got acquainted with innovative methods of working with students. Ukrainian teachers also had the opportunity to exchange their experience in teaching World War and the Holocaust history in schools and higher educational institutions of Ukraine.

The meeting with Jacob Wexler who survived the Holocaust being a very small child, was rescued and educated by a Polish family in the Catholic spirit, and who only by end of his life learned about his Jewish roots made an unforgettable impression on the seminar participants.

The program of the seminar was not limited with classroom work and study of museum exhibitions. Rich excursion program: to the museum of Israel, Western Wall, Masada, Dead Sea and pilgrimage shrines were foreseen every day.

Here are some feedback from our seminar participants:

Olena Burlaka (Cherkassy region)

«That's the end of Yad Vashem seminar. It was interesting and extremely informative. Every participant of our delegation was able to take a valuable experience, ideas, to make sure the chosen approach to understanding the problem. Most of all I was impressed by the Shoah (catastrophe of the Jewish people) human-centered, humanistic concept of research and coverage: without any hate note – but instead the request to be tolerant and able to be grateful; an understanding that the feat is possible not only with a weapon in their hands, but in any case remain a decent person, loving and respecting his homeland».

Oleksandr Shangin (Dnipro)

«Stunning, incredible … Each day was special, a separate page for the achievement of each the participants from both sides. We are different – and this is the World’s value, and nobody has the right to assign the Life of Human. How to achieve the formation of skills in the concepts of love and appreciation? Where the limit of situational fear begins and a syndrome of the Catastrophe appears? What was the first one – saving life at any price or willingness to sacrifice for the benefit of another person? How not to consolidate the formula of «lie for the sake of good» і how not to start living another's life? Moreover, how to stop on a discussion that deviates from the topic of communication during the lecture?

Historical exhibition of Yad Vashem museum – stunning cry of silence of the Name. The best «gate» from the immersion in consciousness state - guided tour over Jerusalem. Jacob Wexler story – witness life and prospect. Amazing! Challenge to the intelligence of the listeners and the reality of life. The history of the Name bearer in the Hologram of the Catastrophe. I would like to thank sincerely to all the organizers for the opportunity to become participants of Yad Vashem seminar!»