UNFILTERED: Advocating for Yourself & Your Jewish Peers (on Campus)

April 7 @ 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

AUDIENCE: FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS/CAREGIVERS

As antisemitism is on the rise globally and on campuses, it’s essential to prepare yourself and your teens for college life.  In a conversation guided by special guests, we will explore advocacy strategies that Jewish students can use on campus if they experience an antisemitic incident.  Students will learn about campus stakeholders and how to find support, while parents/caregivers will acquire strategies for supporting their students from afar.

FOUNDATIONS OF TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST: History and Pedagogy

April 8 @ 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS

During this virtual workshop, educators will enhance their knowledge and capacity to teach about the Holocaust, including historical and contemporary antisemitism, the establishment of the ghettos, the “Final Solution” and how this event continues to influence the world today. This webinar is a timely opportunity for educators to explore how to honor Yom HaShoah with your students.

GENOCIDE: The Greatest Crime

April 17 @ 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS

Genocide has been called the greatest crime for many reasons; it ruptures history, creating a devastating barrier between the past and future. Teaching about genocide provides an opportunity to engage students in deep reflection about choices made by individuals, leaders, governments and society at large at different points in history. Participate to learn how to navigate the definition of genocide in today’s classroom, explore how genocides occur and examine their consequences.

Breaking Down Antisemitism: Guiding Students from Awareness to Action

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS

To ensure inclusive and welcoming schools, we must equip students with the knowledge and confidence to challenge antisemitism. Participate in this new pilot course from ADL for a professional learning experience that prepares you to do just that -- helping to foster a culture of awareness, respect and action in your school.  The course is designed for middle and high school teachers, administrators and support staff.

You’ll explore contemporary examples of antisemitism, discover practical classroom resources and develop strategies to empower students to be upstanders. With guidance from ADL experts and support from a collaborative learning community, you’ll create a plan to use Awareness to Action: Challenging Antisemitism, an interactive online course for students. The online learning experience is five hours of self-paced learning over the course of two weeks, beginning on May 5, 2025.

Teaching Unit: Teaching About Genocide

This unit is timely for Genocide Awareness Month. It is intended to help teachers consider the concept of genocide, how to foster empathy with the victims who were persecuted, how to better understand the mechanisms used and the process of the escalation of hate that can lead to genocide, and how the legacies of genocides are created, memorialized, and remembered.

The material is shaped by four fundamental questions that have shaped each lesson:

• What is genocide?
• Who were the people before they became victims?
• How did genocide occur?
• How do we remember a genocide?

This unit challenges students to find value and meaningful lessons in the study of genocide and how memory and the understanding of genocides of the past can empower them to act against hatred today.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month

Jewish American Heritage Month takes place each May. These ADL-recommended resources will help ensure that next month will be a time to uplift and provide learning experiences for students to explore the Jewish experience.

Children’s books, both picture books and chapter books, are a useful opening to introduce elementary students to the Jewish experience. This can include an exploration of holidays, traditions, culture, history, notable people, antisemitism faced by the Jewish community and more. Using books to learn about Jewish people will enhance students’ understanding of our diverse society and world.

The sixth annual Vermont Holocaust Memorial Educators Workshop focused on bringing the human experience of the Holocaust to Vermont teachers and students. The program was facilitated by Echoes and Reflections, which is led by ADL, the USC Shoah Foundation and Yad Vashem.

Among those involved was Josie Raynes, a seventh-grade student at Williston Central School who is working with the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina, to bring “Anne Frank: A History for Today” to Vermont. Ms. Raynes told Workshop attendees her involvement was driven by her heritage as the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, and family stories of survival and resilience.

Overall, the Workshop had a powerful impact. As a teacher from Rutland said, “My eyes and mind were opened. I have so many new ideas, especially of how to incorporate poetry and art.”

Explore our entire suite of antisemitism, Holocaust and anti-bias education offerings. Deepening your own understanding and sharing these tools and insights with your students will encourage informed conversations and a more thoughtful, welcoming learning environment.