Workshops

A Matter of Honor: The Story of Albanian, Bosnian, and Tunisian Muslims Rescuing Jews
Albania, a mostly Muslim country in the Balkans, seemed like an unlikely place to rescue Jews since only about 200 Jews lived there before the war and it was conquered by Italy even before World War II began. Yet Albania was the only European country to end the war with more Jews than at the beginning. During this workshop, we will learn about the Muslims of Tunisia, Albania, and Bosnia who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Creating the Enemy: Propaganda in the Nazi Era
As the old adage says, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” By examining cartoons, posters, and photos from the Third Reich, participants will learn how the Nazis used propaganda as a manipulative tool. The workshop will also explore forms of propaganda that exist in modern American society and develop strategies to recognize and analyze the meanings behind these images. Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Decision Making in Times of Injustice
Eve Shalen says, "… In my [junior high] class, large differences did not exist. It was as if the outcasts were invented by the group out of a need for them.” During this workshop, we will explore how issues of identity, membership, and moral decision-making can have serious consequences. Central to our discussion will be a short narrative about a group of Hitler Youth in the context of our historical case study, "Holocaust and Human Behavior." Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Eyewitness: The Imagery That Shapes Our Understanding of the Holocaust
Participants will look at film clips and photographs of the Holocaust, discuss their impact, and explore their meaning and the qualities that make them so iconic. How do these images help us remember the tragedy of the Holocaust? What can we do today to keep these images alive and build a better understanding of our history? Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Holocaust Education in the Post-Survivor Era, a Workshop for Educators
Too soon, students learning about the Holocaust will not meet survivors, witnesses, or liberators. What are the implications for educators? Learn about resources that will bring survivors' voices to classrooms and explore the power of "second and third generation voices" to share family narratives and legacies of this history. Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Japanese-American Internment and the Man Who Fought Back: The Fred Korematsu Story
During World War II, the U.S. Government interned 120,000 Japanese Americans in desolate internment camps. These individuals, 70% of whom were American citizens, were imprisoned without charges and due process of law. Hear the story about “the man who fought back,” Fred Korematsu, from his daughter, Karen Korematsu, and learn about internment camps in America.

Jewish Identity and Christian Rescue
Some Jews escaped the Nazis, finding hiding places with Christian families, convents, or schools. What happened to their Jewish identity? How did they react to Christian teachings, handling sacraments, and attempts at conversion? This workshop will honor the Jewish religious journey of these survivors, using testimonies collected by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute. Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Musical, Artistic, and Literary Resistance in Terezín
One of the strategies used for survival in Terezín was creative, artistic resistance. Participants will examine works by artists in prison, including those of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and Karel Fleischman, as well as drawings by children. Together, we will look at Brundibar, an opera, and other music created behind the ghetto walls, and the secret literary magazine, Vedem. Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Never Again Is Happening Now! The Crisis in Darfur and Sudan
How can you be a voice for the people of Sudan? While the world focus is on the “Arab Spring”, the government of Sudan and its militias kill, rape, torture, starve, and unfairly arrest and detain innocent civilians in Darfur and in other parts of Sudan. Mohamed Suleiman, a Darfur native, will speak of his efforts to help his people. He will share his experiences and direct us to ways that we can help.

Perpetrators and the Banality of Evil: Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz
Rudolf Höss was the commandant at Auschwitz. As such, he was an intermediary between those who ordered the murder of the Jews and those who carried out the policy. We will read passages of his memoirs written while he was in Polish captivity. Our focus will be the question of how an “ordinary” family man became one of the most hated Nazi after 1945. Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Seeing Is Believing: Anti-Semitism in Pop Culture
How does American popular culture portray the Holocaust? Does popular culture stereotype Jews? Through the use of multimedia, participants will examine their own stereotypes and the portrayal of race, ethnicity and gender in animation and fantasy film (South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, X-Men, Harry Potter, and Star Wars).

The Armenian Genocide: Through the Lens of Survivor Testimonies
Survivors bring us raw and harrowing accounts of genocide. Their words live long after they do and allow us to never forget. Learning from testimony also guides us to become advocates for human rights. Survivors of the Armenian genocide are gone, but their descendents still carry their histories. Explore the history of the Armenian genocide through survivor testimony and better understand its impact on subsequent generations.

The Jewish Partisans: Teenage Armed Resistance During the Holocaust
Is it wrong to steal and kill for survival? Most people don’t know of the 30,000 Jews who fought back in organized armed resistance groups known as the partisans. These individuals saved lives and committed acts of sabotage against the Germans. Learn how the Jewish partisans blew up German trains and convoys and saved thousands of Jewish lives. The workshop will look at archival film, and participants will hear first-hand testimony from a Jewish partisan.

The Patterns of Genocide: Rwanda, Cambodia, and Nazi Germany
Perpetrators of genocide use similar methods to create a social and political climate that attempts to justify their actions. We will explore dehumanization and indoctrination through propaganda and governmental systems. We will look at three genocides during the 20th century—the Holocaust, Cambodia, and Rwanda—and discuss their similarities and differences within this context. Following our discussion, we will hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

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