Friday, January 31, 2020

Holocaust Remembrance: An Offering of Online Resources

(Though I’ve been working on a post about the liberation of Auschwitz, I've decided to begin with a broader collection of resources. For readers who regularly teach about the Holocaust this post may be “old hat” so to speak.  But I've discovered that well-known websites often have good stuff hidden away, requiring a few clicks to find it.)   

CONTENTS

MEDIA WEBSITES
EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES
TEACHING AND TALKING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

MEDIA WEBSITES

This January mainstream media published a great deal about the Holocaust and in particular about the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex of Nazi camps in Poland.  January 27th marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the day in 1945 when the Soviet Army arrived and freed its prisoners.  More than two hundred Holocaust survivors attended the official events at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum.  They joined world leaders or their representatives and other dignitaries in memorializing the liberation, mourning those who died in the Holocaust, and reflecting on the great evil that the Nazi regime had perpetrated. Everyone at this commemoration realized that next time perhaps only a handful of survivors would be able to attend.  

In addition the media reported on the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, organized by the Forum Foundation and Yad Vashem and held in Jerusalem on January 23rd.  Its theme, “Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Antisemitism,” acknowledged the current rise in  antisemitism.  The agenda stressed the need “to educate about the dangers of antisemitism, racism and xenophobia and foster Holocaust commemoration, education and research” (https://www.yadvashem.org/holocaust-forum-2020/about.html).

While search engines provide easy access to recent content, I highly recommend visiting the news media’s own websites.  That way you can get a sense of the scope of an outlet’s coverage.  Searching for older items is also worthwhile.  The 60th and 70th anniversaries of the liberation elicited similar coverage, such as feature articles/videos about Holocaust survivors–with their first-hand accounts (primary sources to read and discuss); photo  essays about the Holocaust, Auschwitz, or other camps; description of special exhibits; and commentary by journalists and scholars. 

Here are links to some major outlets–with a few tips for using their search boxes. Both the New York Times and the Washington Post have paywalls but anyone can access a limited number free items per month. I’d also expect that they can be accessed at local schools and libraries.

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com 

 • For best results, put quotation marks around search item. Search “Holocaust” for list sorted by “Relevance” but you can switch to “Newest” or “Oldest” • From the top of this list, click on “Times Topic”: OR type this URL directly into your search engine: https://www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/holocaust-and-the-nazi-era 

 • “Times Topic” page shows “Latest”; click button directly to the right that says “Search” and another menu comes up below it–where you can switch from “newest” to “oldest”; “oldest” list begins with February 1999. 

 • No items from before 1999? Using filters is clumsy (results for “All since 1851" are ridiculous). Instead, try different search items and then switch to “Oldest”: e.g. search “Nazi concentration camp”(oldest item is February 14, 1937); search “Auschwitz” (oldest item dated November 12. 1948); 


Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com

 • Search “Holocaust” to find recent items. Then scroll down and click on “Last” to reverse the order (new list begins with 2005--scroll down for a 1996 item).

 • From original list, clicking on “Advanced Search” reveals that what you have are “All Since 2005" items, sorted by “Relevance.” Switching to “Date” results in a list that begins with the most recent items; go to bottom of this page and click on “Last” (scroll down this page for item dated 1993).


Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com

 • Search “Holocaust” to access recent items. Select “Oldest” for list that begins with 1971, then skips ahead to 1985. There are 1254 pages of links so a lot to check out, but if you have time, worth a try. 


Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com

 • Search “Holocaust” to access more than 1650 items OR go directly to https://www.theguardian.com/world/holocaust

• Search “Auschwitz 60th" for items appearing in 2005

• "Night Will Fall review – unflinching footage reveals true hell of the Holocaust." Guardian (18 September 2014): http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/18/night-will-fall-review-holocaust-documentary-hitchcock-liberation-belsen-auschwitz 


BBC News: https://www.bbc.com 

 • Search “Holocaust” for most recent items; from this list use filters to find items from various branches/programmes.  Bitesize (a program with Primary/Secondary/ Post-16 sections) has material suitable for US K-12 students. Check-out filter buttons for “Teach” and “Sport.” 

 • For items from January 27th and recent updates: https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c34vxewp0ykt/the-holocaust 



 • This is the English edition. Search “Holocaust” to access 122 items, clicking “sort by date” for list that begins with recent items. Click “relevance” for pages that mix in a few older (intriguing) items. 



 • Search “Holocaust” to access 1281 items; click on relevance to access older items dating back to 2011. 



 • Search “Holocaust” to access 2524 items. From these results, click on Related Subjects, including Auschwitz.


EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES

For history and background on the Holocaust there are so many reliable online resources that just sorting through them can be overwhelming.  Websites that serve as portals have many pages and sub-pages within the site and often include sections with links to external sites. Nearly all of these sites are designed to educate and feature ample material for use by K-12 students and their teachers.

Using search engines it is possible to find specific information about a person or place or a narrowly defined topic.  However, I’ve discovered content deep within portal sites that isn’t readily available in a search engine’s results. 

The sites listed here all deserve thorough investigation–as much as time permits.  Prepare a “digital document” to help students get started by clicking on links.  This will take them to content that you have vetted–that is age-appropriate and meets the needs of your district’s curriculum.  

In class, students might work through a structured roadmap of links as part of a lesson plan, focusing on your specific objectives and taking into account your students’ backgrounds.  The child of a Ukrainian immigrant–even if she doesn’t understand the language--might like hearing an interview in Ukrainian (https://legalinsurrection.com/2016/01/anatoly-shapiro-a-name-to-remember).  Students of color may connect with the short film “This is our story - visit to Auschwitz - February 2010” (listed below under Haringey London).  

If possible, give students a chance to explore independently (homework?), but devise a way for them to report on what they find.  What questions do they have?  Did they bump into any questionable content?  Did they discover something very special?
 
A good place to start is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum site, where students can read a concise introduction and then explore the site’s many resources.  Using the 850+ articles in USHMM’s “Holocaust Encyclopedia,” they can narrow or broaden the focus (for example, as part of a unit on The Rise of Fascism). For an overview of the liberation of Auschwitz, send students to “Liberation of the Camps,” where they can watch a short video (3:10 mins.) and then read a short text. 

United States Holocaust Museum: https://www.ushmm.org
• View “What Was the Holocaust,” then explore these sections: Learn About the Holocaust, Remember Survivors and Victims, and Confront Genocide| Antisemitism.  OR begin with “Introduction to the Holocaust”: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/introduction-to-the-holocaust

• Find fascinating content in the Holocaust Encyclopedia using “Browse A-Z”: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/en/a-z/landing

• The Encyclopedia is searchable.  Here’s a sample article: “Liberation of the Camps”: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/liberation-of-nazi-camps 

• To learn by examining primary sources, enter the tool “Experiencing History”: https://perspectives.ushmm.org 

• “Podcasts and Audio”: https://www.ushmm.org/learn/podcasts-and-audio

• “Bibliographies.”  For a long list of topical bibliographies, listing only items in USHMM’s Library or online: https://www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography



• Click on “Education and E-Learning” for many excellent educational videos, including historical videos and survivor testimonies; also lesson plans, newsletter for educators, link to a free course on the Holocaust, and more:  https://www.yadvashem.org education.html

• Browse the “Yad Vashem Photo Collections”: https://photos.yadvashem.org

• View the “Auschwitz Album,” an exceptional primary source: https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/album_auschwitz/index.asp

• For “The Righteous Among the Nations” (information about those who rescued Jews during the Holocaust): https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous.html

• The vast “Documents Archive” is divided into nine sections: https://documents.yadvashem.org


Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum: http://auschwitz.org/en

• Basic information is available in more than a dozen languages.  From the English homepage click the Chinese button; then, from the left-side menu, click and hold  the Chinese button for a list of languages.  Select a language; then click again to display a table of contents for pages in PDF format. (Lots of possibilities here for foreign language and ESL teachers.)  The entire website is available in Polish: http://auschwitz.org
• On the “History” page, use the left-side menu for a long list of topics: http://auschwitz.org/en/history/kl-auschwitz-birkenau

• On the “Education” page there are sections for Middle, Upper Secondary, and University students and for Teachers/Educators; also use the left-side menu a range of resources: http://auschwitz.org/en/education

• For lesson plans and news about teaching select “Resources for teachers”: http://auschwitz.org/en/education/resources-for-teachers

• For visual material go to “Historical Pictures and Documents”: http://auschwitz.org/en/gallery/historical-pictures-and-documents; also “Photo Gallery”: http://auschwitz.org/en/gallery/exhibits and “Exhibits”: http://auschwitz.org/en/education/exhibitions

• Bill Hunt assembled an excellent selection of photos for the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau (exhibited in 2005 at the Art of Propaganda Gallery in the United Kingdom): http://www.auschwitz-birkenau.org/index3.htm



Holocaust Teacher Resource Center:  http://www.holocaust-trc.org

• THIS SITE IS THE VICTIM OF A CYBER ATTACK THAT GOES TO A VIAGRA-ADVERTISING PAGE.  I WAS ABLE TO ACCESS THE REAL PAGE FROM THIS URL: http://www.hopesecondarylibrary.com/teacher-resources---holocaust.html

• A useful collection of links: http://www.holocaust-trc.org/links

• The most special item here is an amazing account, well-written and full of suspense by David Katz, “Autobiography”: http://www.holocaust-trc.org/david-katz-a-holocaust-survivor/autobiography


• The Holocaust section consists of more than 1300 items but these are also sorted into 15 themes (right below the title).  Some themes place events in their historical  context (e.g. Transforming Germany in the 1930s, Trials and Justice, Memory and Memorials) while others focus on human agency or lack of it (Perpetrators and Mass Murder, Victim and Survivor Voices, Bystanders): https://www.facinghistory.org/topics/holocaust

• “Holocaust and Human Behavior” is a self-paced workshop for teachers.  It draws on the site’s resources but is designed to help teachers who may have only a few days to cover the Holocaust, including issues of ethics and responsibility, without neglecting its complexity. For details and to sign up: https://www.facinghistory.org/professional-development/ondemand/getting-started-holocaust-and-human-behavior

• Check out a primary source from the workshop, "To Remember," by Ilya Ehrenburg,  which appeared in  Pravda on (17 December 1944):  https://www.facinghistory.org/holocaust-human-behavior/to-remember-ilya-ehrenburg


Jewish Virtual Library: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

• On the home page, select “Holocaust” for a wide-ranging list of topics: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-holocaust

• Go deeper by clicking on items on the Holocaust page–and discover that many have their own tables of contents, e.g. “Concentration Camps” lists major camps, some of the sub-camps, and maps: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/concentration-camps

• The “Timeline of Jewish Persecution” (March 1932 through December 1945) draws together great deal of specific information:  https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/timeline-of-jewish-persecution-in-the-holocaust    

• For students doing research this is a site where they can to find detailed information by searching names of people and places.  Search from the home page.


The Nazi Concentration Camps: http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk

• A site created by Dr Nikolaus Wachsmann in collaboration the Centre for Holocaust Studies at University College London and other partners (including the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum. 

• The scope is broader that the name suggests because it aims to situate the camps in their proper historical context.  Access resources from buttons on the homepage: Overview, Themes, Timeline, Camps, Documents, Films and Testimonies; Maps, Teaching and Resources. Click on “Documents” for a large collection, sorted into 13 thematic sets (e.g. Perpetrators, Slave Labor, Resistance): http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk/documents.html

• The double-sided vertical timeline (both sides begin in 1933) can serve as both an overview and reference tool. The LEFT side covers the political and military history of the Nazi regime. The RIGHT side begins with the mass arrests of the regime's leftist opponents and the subsequent opening of Dachau; then continues with the history of the major camps.  Entries on the RIGHT side are linked to related documents. To access directly: http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk/timeline.html

• Also useful for research is the map series, ""SS Concentration Camp System (Main Camps) by Year."  Series begins with 1934 and ends in 1945: http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk/maps/maps-1934.html



• PBS created this site to accompany “Auschwitz: Inside The Nazi State,” a six-part documentary that aired on PBS in 2005.  Well-designed, with plenty of high-quality resources, it is still one of best sites for both teachers and students.

• NOTE: The series was produced by the BBC and first broadcast in the UK in January 2005 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.  The British title is “Auschwitz: The Nazis and 'The Final Solution.”

• In an introductory essay Laurence Rees, the writer and producer, explains the significance of Auschwitz and why this series is different--for its conscientious approach to re-enactment as well as for its new content): http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/about

• “The History of Auschwitz” (buttons for nine topics) is filled with links to the site’s other resources: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/40-45

• For each episode there is a complete transcript.  This makes it possible to use the embedded testimonies of survivors and other witnesses as primary sources. Access directly: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/about/transcripts.html

• “Timeline” provides a deep historical context, beginning in 1917 and extending into the post-war era to end in 1963: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/learning/timeline

• The “Teaching Guides” are in PDF format, one for each episode.  They include four additional readings (more background or literary excepts) that can be printed for use in the classroom: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/learning/guides

• “Maps and Plans” contains archival material and an interactive map: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/maps

• For the recent PBS documentary,”Secrets of the Dead: Bombing Auschwitz,” go to this page for a list of interviewees and a timeline of events covered in the film: http://thejewishvoice.com/pbs-presents-secrets-of-the-dead-bombing-auschwitz


Anne Frank House: https://www.annefrank.org/en

• Resources created especially for young people and their teachers–in more than 50 languages!  Select a language on the Education page: https://www.annefrank.org/en/education 

• For lessons, activities, and workshops that bring today’s concerns into the classroom: human rights, antisemitism, racism, discrimination.  A good example is “Free2choose”: https://www.annefrank.org/en/education/product/94/free2choose

• Schools or youth groups with a service learning component should check out the “Anne Frank Youth Network”:  https://www.annefrank.org/en/education/anne-frank-youth-network


Holocaust Memorial Day Trust: http://hmd.org.uk

• For this year’s Holocaust Memorial theme, "Stand Together": https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme

• Access to resources and guidelines for teachers: http://hmd.org.uk/content/for-educators


Holocaust Educational Trust: https://www.het.org.uk

• “Survivor Stories” presents 16 stories, each with a photo of the survivor: http://www.het.org.uk/education/outreach-programme/survivor-stories

• “Memories of Kristallnacht”:  https://www.het.org.uk/blog/entry/memories-of-kristallnacht


Haringey London: Visit this UK local government site for two special (though short) films:

• “The Y-Word.”   Three young footballers (i.e. soccer players) speak put in a film taking on the issue of  anti-Semitism  among soccer fans: https://www.haringey.gov.uk/local-democracy/about-council/equalities/holocaust-memorial-day/y-word

• “This is our story - visit to Auschwitz - February 2010.” Two young women of color from Haringey, Funmi Abari and VyVy Nguyen, went to to Auschwitz in February 2010 and made this TrueTube film. https://www.haringey.gov.uk/local-democracy/about-council/equalities/holocaust-memorial-day/our-story-visit-auschwitz-february-2010


Holocaust Survivors: http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org

• For the stories of six survivors: http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/survivors.php

• “Bibliography” (memoirs and works based on survivors’ accounts): http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/data.show.php?di=list&da=bibliography&so=title


Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive (University of Michigan- Dearborn): http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu

• Click on “Interviews”: http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu/interviews.php.  Select the online filter.
• For a brief description of  student projects drawing on these interviews (with three examples), go to “From the Director - Spring 2019 Creating Spatial Narratives of Holocaust Survivors”: https://voicevisarchive.tumblr.com/post/185506114015/from-the-director-spring-2019
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (University of Minnesota): https://chgs.elevator.umn.edu

• Find the stories of 37 Minnesota residents in “Browsing Minnesota and the Holocaust: Survivors, Witnesses, Liberators”: https://chgs.elevator.umn.edu/search/s/e500c03c-4063-4ffb-9435-c799f4eaffb7

• For a broader perspectives, with provocative visual resources, explore “Browsing Visualizing Otherness: Racism and Antisemitism in Popular Media”: https://chgs.elevator.umn.edu/search/s/3614b4c3-b4d3-47f6-be13-abb3ad13f332

USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education (University of Southern California): https://sfi.usc.edu

• Steven Spielberg’s collection of video testimonies is now part of the foundation’s “Visual History Archive”: https://sfi.usc.edu/vha

• Register for free to enter the “Visual History Archive.”  Its broad scope makes it an excellent resource for comparative research.  The archive preserves the testimonies of more than 54,000 survivors and witnesses of genocide; about 3,000 of these are online.

• “Share the Same Sky” is a seven-episode, testimony-based podcast. Rachel Cerrotti recounts her grandmother’s escape from the Nazis–a journey from Czechoslovakia to Denmark to Sweden and finally to America.  She adds  the story of her own journey–as she retraced that of her grandmother. Available to stream or download (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts) OR access directly: https://sfi.usc.edu/we-share-the-same-sky.  Scroll down to find a link to classroom resources.   


The National Holocaust Centre and Museum: http://www.nationalholocaustcentre.net 

• For residents and visitors to the UK, the museum’s virtual reality exhibit, “The Eye as Witness,” is a ground-breaking resource ( currently on tour):  https://witness.holocaust.org.uk

• Visit the museum’s blog for news, commentary on artifacts, and reflections by staff and visitors: https://www.holocaust.org.uk/Blogs/blog

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme:  https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance

• Created “to remind the world of the lessons to be learnt from the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.”

• View classroom resources (e.g. posters) to order by mail and other items  available in PDF format: https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/2018/educational2018.shtml

• For thought-provoking essays of interest to teachers, consult the “Discussion Papers Series”: https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/docs.shtml



• An archive of documents, photographs, audio and video recordings, videos. and essays, with focus on refuting views of Holocaust deniers. 

• This website was offline until PHDN.ORG (a French site) succeeded in saving parts of it and put it back online.  PHDN is a non-profit, non-governmental organization “devoted to providing documents about the Holocaust and tools against Holocaust denial.” 

• Access other archives preserved by PHDN (Pratique de l’Histoire et Dévoiements Négationnistes): https://phdn.org/archives/index.html
• For information about events, exhibits, the library’s archive, educational opportunities, and more.  From the homepage click on Collections for content to use in the classroom: https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/Collections

• “The Holocaust Explained” section, for students ages 13-18, is user-friendly and its timeline (1923-1945) has lots of images to keep students interested: https://www.theholocaustexplained.org

• On the Colllections page, click on “Digital Collections” to find items sorted thematically (Kristallnacht, Refugee Families, Women, more) and a link to Audio-Visual Resources: https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/Digital-Resources 

• On the Education page, select External Resources, which opens a page with six sets:  https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/External-Resources.  One set, “Holocaust Education Centres and Trusts,” offers listings sorted by the country where they are located or hosted: https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/digital-holocaust-resources


Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/toc.html

• A site for teachers and advanced students, offering the results of specialized research; for example, the section on “The Holocaust – Economic Exploitation”: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/economics/index.html

• For a detailed account of Aktion Reinhard (Nazi code name for the extermination of Polish Jews in 1942-1943): http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/ar/index.html

• Explore the “Essays & Editorials” by students and faculty of the Department of History, University of Northampton: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/essays&editorials/index.html

Simon Wiesenthal Center: http://www.wiesenthal.com 

• To learn how the Holocaust is relevant to today’s current events, check out the News and Twitter listings on the homepage.

• Encourage students to explore how this “a global human rights organization” is fulfilling its mission of  “researching the Holocaust and hate in a historic and contemporary context.”


TEACHING AND TALKING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

 “Fundamentals of Teaching the Holocaust.” ”  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: https://www.ushmm.org/teach/fundamentals

  • Six sections, covering how to teach with sensitivity, rationale, learning objectives, fundamental content, age-appropriate concerns, lesson plans, and more.

 “Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:  https://www.ushmm.org/teach/fundamentals/guidelines-for-teaching-the-holocaust 

  • A section of the “Fundamentals” page.  Covers issues related to terms and language, balancing perspectives, pitfalls of making comparisons, answering difficult questions, and more.  

"Guidance for Schools: Resources for Holocaust Memorial Day.”  Awareness Mystery Value:  http://awarenessmysteryvalue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/HaringeySACRE-HMD17-schools-guidance.pdf


"Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust."  International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance: https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/education

  • For 12 articles click on “Educational Materials” or go directly to https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/education/educational-materials
  • This resource draws on input from an international panel–experts from the United States, Netherlands, Hungary, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, France, and Spain. The IHRA mission is "to place political and social leaders' support behind the need for Holocaust education, remembrance and research both nationally and internationally."  It emerged from the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust (2000) that involved 46 governments. 
  • See also “Research in Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust: A Dialogue Beyond Borders,” which asks how students make sense of what this difficult topic:   https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/education/publications

Siebert, Detlef.  “Historical Accuracy in Drama Documentaries.”  BBC News (17 February 2011): http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/genocide/history_drama_01.shtml

  • Siebert writes about how he dealt with the challenges of making a documentary about Auschwitz (BBC's six-part docudrama series, “Auschwitz - The Nazis and the Final Solution.”)







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