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10 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2019 

1942 - 2019

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week
jn

Arthur M. Horwitz
Executive Editor/Publisher
ahorwitz@renmedia.us

F. Kevin Browett
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How to reach us see page 14

O

ur task is daunting: 
Teach the lessons of 
the Holocaust, inspire 
compassion for the “other” 
and empower students to go 
out into the 
world and take 
positive action. 
We need schools 
to teach about 
the Holocaust 
not because it is 
mandated by the 
state (which it 
is), but because we must create 
active and empathic citizens who 
participate in our democracy 
and fight for what they believe 
is right. 
The education department of 
the Holocaust Memorial Center, 
through the generosity of the 
Ravitz Foundation, reaches out 
to schools throughout Michigan 
to provide training workshops 
to teach the Holocaust accu-
rately and with best pedagogic 
practices. HMC education spe-

cialists travel as far as the Upper 
Peninsula and as close as down 
the street to work with teachers 
from many disciplines — social 
studies, English language arts, 
visual arts and special needs pro-
fessionals.
The number 6 million, while 
tragic, is incomprehensible and 
impersonal; we teach that 6 mil-
lion times, one person was mur-
dered. That person had a name, 
a family, a life before the Shoah 
and, for the very few, a life after. 
By introducing students to real 
people, through survivor video 
testimony, poetry and art created 
by the victims, and other first-
hand sources, students can con-
nect with people who lived long 
ago in far-away places, but who 
were still just like them.
Public Act 170, the Michigan 
Law requiring genocide educa-
tion, including the Holocaust 
and Armenian genocides, went 
into effect in 2016. Since then, 
we have trained 657 teachers 

from 356 schools, located in 67 
out of Michigan’
s 83 counties.
By traveling to the schools, we 
create ongoing relationships with 
the teachers. It is these personal 
connections that keep teachers 
coming back for more in-depth 
explorations of specific content 
areas and teaching strategies.
Workshop participants have 
praised the training for pro-
viding strong connections that 
make the Holocaust relevant 
to students, practical teaching 
strategies for such difficult 
subject matter and valuable 
resource materials — all done in 
a professional and high caliber of 
instruction.
“I came in with a limited 
knowledge of and a general fear 
of teaching about the Holocaust. 
I feel better and more confi-
dent,” noted a middle school 
social studies and English lan-
guage arts teacher from Sault 
Ste. Marie Public Schools.
Especially noteworthy was 

this comment from a high 
school social studies teacher 
from the Detroit Public Schools 
Community District, who said 
of the training: “Very powerful 
as usual and very relevant today 
with the increase of hate-filled 
events!” 
This teacher captured the 
essence of what we strive for at 
the Holocaust Memorial Center 
— to help all individuals make 
personal connections to the 
affairs of a complex world.
As we look forward to another 
school year, we remain dedicated 
to training teachers throughout 
the state. Further, we invite all 
parents and families to visit the 
Holocaust Memorial Center 
in Farmington Hills to expand 
their understanding of the 
Holocaust and its application 
to personal and social issues of 
today. 

Ruth Bergman is the director of educa-

tion at the Holocaust Memorial Center.

essay
Holocaust Education Training 

Program forges deep connections with Michigan teachers.

Ruth 
Bergman

