6 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, April 17, 1981 Holocaust Education Methods Examined CASH By MAX NADEL taught to school children of the Holocaust, but it and at what particular should be one which is care- fully tempered to their age, How should the stages in the student's edu- maturity, and sensibility Holocaust experience be cational and moral de- velopment should the sub- and which is an inherent Electronic Cash ject by introduced? element of a larger study. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd. A first concern is: Do we For example, in the public (16 Mile at 1-75) want children in the pri- schools, the course might be 6 $ Troy, Michigan mary grades — one through one on prejudice and dis- totals Phone: six — to encounter the crimination in which a two- 313-362-4500 Holocaust? We are dealing or three-week unit might be with youngsters who are in- devoted to the Holocaust; or 342-7802 capable in realistic terms of in a Jewish school, it might Passover Greetings accepting and understand- be a history course with a ing what happened. The unit on anti-Semitism CUSTOM psychological impact may - where the Holocaust is the take one of two forms. central event of a sequence They may be shocked and of historical experiences. frightened, especially if Any unit on the Holocaust A LASTING GIFT they are Jewish, that it will should not focus solely on • HAND-CRAFTED. • CUSTOM STYLING affect negatively their view the destruction, but should PROMPT DELIVERY of their world, the people include a study of the world PHONE 345-5350 who are in it, and them- that was destroyed, democ- MADE IN MICHIGAN selves. The scenes as they racy and totalitarianism, imagine them from their the failures of the Weimar reading and discussion or as Republic, the resistance Our 30th' Year they see them in such films movements, and the re- sponse of the free world. as "Night and Fog" will haunt their nights. The The best approach is to weight on their minds will encourage and direct stu- be heavier through life from dents to draw conclusions having encountered man's about events from a perusal potential for evil so early in and study of carefully May This Passover Bring Joy, Peace their lives. selected documents. In Students may view the addition, students can work and Happiness to All Our Friends, Holocaust experience as in committtees, engage in Customers and the World melodrama, as a struggle discussions, research, pre- between good and evil with pare reports, participate in good triumphant in the re- debates. Role playing and Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Glassman sistance movements, the ul- simulations, while satisfac- timate ignominious defeat tory in some subject matter, and Family of the Nazis, and the estab- have no place in the teach- and lishment of Israel. They will ing of so sensitive a subject relate the ghetto and con- as the Holocaust. the entire Staff of centration camps to simi- It is on the college level lar scenes which they view that any intensive study of in movies and TV programs the Holocaust should be dealing with prison life, the made by those students who horrors of war, the monstr- elect the courses. When ous violence of weird creaT they do, they should be ex- tures. pected to take also a course In short, youngsters up in Jewish history so that to grade seven should they see the Holocaut in pursue the program of the light of the stream of studies that will reveal to Jewish life and culture from them the nature of their its beginnings to the pre- immediate world, the sent. quality of its faiths and its Studies have shown civilization, while they that for many years after acquire the skills to deal Sales • Service with the necessities of World War II almost no on oil makes mention was made of the daily living. Holocaust in history or Beginning with grade se- literature textbooks used 1- 1 • VVi 1,1-1/1/ ) r ,--)E3C3C_JC) I E N.t.r .1ER()7(:)• ir)Ai ven, students should be in school and colleges. ready to undertake a study This is changing and is all to the good. But the fear is that educators are mov- ing to the opposite ex- treme and that the em- phasis on the subject is creating a grim and de- pressing environment in the schools. This seems to be an exaggerated view. The curricula of the pub- lic schools and the Jewish schools are so rich with other subject content that Join our V.P. Club Membership there is little danger of a pervasive Holocaust spirit $3500 dominating the tone of any school. However, schools Choose from 100s of video movies in stock • must be wary that constant references to the Holocaust in the various subject classes and a plethora of 9 to 5 STUNT MAN Holocaust events — as- semblies, solemn religious FAME MY BODY GUARD Movies such as r• services, specially invited BLUES BROTHERS AIRPLANE • speakers, film pre- • sentations, etc. — do not create in the students a be- lief and feeling that the Holocaust and other perse- • cutions are the only experi- 12 Mile at Evergreen • ences of the Jewish people Evergreen piazza • 569- 2330 • in their history or that OPEN 7 DAYS . - • man's inhumanity to man is the dominant theme of •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • FOR YOUR mammas& PRECIOUS JEWELS , , B e rgey.<7aptdatq (Copyright 1981, JTA, Inc.) REGISTERS 99.99 t 9 otal, $288.88 TABLE PADS UNITED TABLE PAD. CO . OLDSMOBILE INC • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .• • • • • • • • • • • • • NT 'E 4 DAYS ONLY ONLY $5.00 for 4 days VIDEO PLUS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Western civilization. The dimensions of the Holocaust were so enor- mous and the shame and guilt of civilized people so compelling, one must hope and believe, despite recent events in Paris and other parts of the world, that the world and its Jewish popu- lations will never let it hap- pen again. Is it time to transfer some of the energies going into Holocaust matters to other concerns? Caricatures for your party By SAM FIELD Call 399-1320 NAT Formerly MARGOLIS FURNITURE of Detroit, Mich. Serving you in Florida with QUALITY, BRAND NAME FURNITURE at DISCOUNT PRICES • Dixie • Flexsteel • Stanley • Serta • Spring Aire • A Complete Line of Convertibles & Dinettes Special Orders Accepted NAT MARGOLIS FURNITURE phone orders accepted 2930 N. 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