“The lasting lessons of the Holocaust are found in countless social issues unfolding in the world today.” — Ivy Schamis, Educator Advisory Committee Member
In 2018, burdened by tragedies but bolstered by the belief of the healing power of education and community, teachers from across the country sought out the resources, programs, and the ongoing support of Echoes & Reflections. We partner with educators to help them introduce students to the complex themes of the Holocaust and to understand its lasting effect on the world.
The following offers a snapshot of just some of the people, places, and initiatives that have made this year so special.
BY THE NUMBERS – 2018 IMPACT
"THE BEST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I HAVE BEEN TO IN YEARS!"
The majority of the nearly 240 Echoes & Reflections programs provided in 2018 were delivered by a strong and diverse cadre of trainers and staff. Our 99% approval rating is largely due to the skills and professionalism of this 35 member team, working in-person and online to design and deliver the highest quality educator programs possible.
“Holocaust education is depthless. You answer one question and 10 more questions reveal themselves. This shouldn’t be a surprise, as this is all about exploring the continuum of human behavior - the best and worst of what we all are capable of. It is for this reason that this is humbling work.”
— Esther Hurh, Training Specialist
MICHIGAN: A STATE OF OPPORTUNITY
As a result of newly passed Holocaust education legislation, Echoes & Reflections launched a new partnership with the Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus. This partnership model created a local cadre of trainers who, under the auspices of the Center, provided Echoes & Reflections programs to Michigan teachers in 2018, as part of an ongoing, multi-year collaboration.
LIFE CHANGING LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN ISRAEL & POLAND
Committed to teachers’ ongoing learning and professional growth, Echoes & Reflections offered its 3rd Annual Advanced Learning Seminar for experienced Echoes & Reflections teachers to study at Yad Vashem's International School in Jerusalem, Israel. In 2018, we added a comprehensive Educational Journey through Poland for a select group of educators to travel to Poland, also led by Yad Vashem.
"I know that there is nothing like seeing something firsthand. I will easily be able to transmit what I learn to my students. Most will never have an opportunity to learn about the Holocaust in this unique way. I'm thankful that I will be able to share my experience with them."
— Amy Rotker, Teacher at Woodville Tompkins Technical & Career High School in Savannah, GA
"Monument to the Ghetto Heroes" in Warsaw
"I hope to always acknowledge my students and their plights as individual stories of resilience and hope. This is what I brought back with me from Poland. A fresh way of being an advocate for my students and a reminder to find the one in the six million. As educators, it is as important today as it ever was to take every student into account and to help them find their voice. In the end, it is the silence that continues to do the most harm."
— Mario Perez, Coordinator and Social Science/Human Geography Teacher at the Newcomer Center in Arlington Heights, IL
A NEW PARTNERSHIP
In September, Echoes & Reflections joined with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to provide a one-day program to 40 DC-area teachers, combining our program on Jewish refugees during the Holocaust with the Museum's new Americans and the Holocaust exhibition. USHMM also hosted the Echoes & Reflections national training cadre for a day of sharing and learning.
"I always leave an Echoes & Reflections program thinking I have learned so much. That is until I attend the next one and realize there is always another dimension through which to examine the Holocaust. The joint Echoes & Reflections/USHMM workshop added the American perspective to how such atrocities occur under the gaze of a conflicted nation."
— Tyrone Shaw, Teacher - District of Columbia Public Schools
INTERACTIVE TIMELINE
To continue to expand online content, Echoes & Reflections launched a newly designed, asset-rich Timeline of the Holocaust. With companion classroom activities and an immersive design that combines visual history testimonies, artifacts, maps, and photos, this new tool helps to bring key events in Holocaust history to life for the student learner.
INSPIRING THE HUMAN STORY: POSTER SERIES
To promote meaningful classroom conversations, Echoes & Reflections launched a new classroom poster series, featuring Holocaust survivor and memoirist Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor Kurt Messerschmidt, and Anne Frank rescuer, Miep Gies. More than 4,000 posters were delivered to schools to inspire teachers and students with these powerful human stories of the Holocaust.
“In my English 11 classes of special education students our goal is to move beyond a mindset of tolerance and begin to shift to an attitude of acceptance and action in order to make our world a better place in which to live. Thank you for offering the posters as a visual reminder of the difference we can make in the world!"
— Lori Rosendale, English/Special Education Teacher at Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, NY.
"I have used the “silence” poster on my whiteboard as a teaching tool when students hear slurs against a certain group of people and how they should respond. I was surprised how many students hear pejoratives on a regular basis. The bystander effect was not realized by many, so the silence poster is most effective."
— Meg Kane-Smith, teacher at Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, DE
EDUCATOR VIDEO TOOLBOX
In 2018, Echoes & Reflections added a new resource to its online video library: Liberators & Survivors: The First Moments. The film interweaves testimonies from liberators of concentration camps at the end of WWII and Jewish survivors, as well as introducing other primary sources to help teachers present these personal stories to students. Since its release in January, 700,000 people in the United States have viewed the video.
I WILL NOT BE SILENT
In honor of the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, Echoes & Reflections created a classroom activity inspired by the powerful words of Holocaust survivor and witness to this tragic event, Kurt Messerschmidt. Students made commitments to not be silent in the face of antisemitism, racism, and other forms of oppression and hatred that they witnessed.
EDUCATOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The inaugural Educator Advisory Committee was launched for the 2017/2018 school year, and brought insights and expertise from 30 experienced classroom educators to help guide our content development and program reach. Advisory Committee member Ivy Schamis, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas educator, wrote eloquently for Echoes & Reflections on the aftermath of the February shooting and her ongoing commitment to Holocaust education.
IN THE NEWS
The experiences of Echoes & Reflections educators were highlighted in both local news outlets and national education publications, showcasing the program’s impact on teacher and student learning and increasing the program’s visibility in community and educational settings.
CLASSROOM IMPACT
Follow-up surveys provide evidence of the ongoing impact of Echoes & Reflections, with 95% of teachers reporting that the professional development program enhanced their knowledge and increased their confidence to teach the topic. 98% report using Echoes & Reflections lessons or other resources in their teaching.
In 2018, a robust study of Echoes & Reflections lessons on contemporary antisemitism with more than 3,500 students found significant gains in student knowledge about antisemitism, its impact in history and the world today, and in their aptitude and skills to act as responsible participants in civil society.
“Rather than seeing the end of the Holocaust as solving the problem, my students are now aware that antisemitism remains a significant problem facing our world and they have some tools to combat it.”
— Teacher, Contemporary Antisemitism Research Participant
"This lesson will affect me by knowing about people in the past who went through maybe the worst time in history. It influenced me by learning about the Holocaust in school, sharing the information at home, and spreading facts around with my family and friends. That way, maybe we can prevent it from happening again."
— A student’s reflection after learning with Echoes & Reflections
THANK YOU
On behalf of the Echoes & Reflections Partnership at ADL, USC Shoah Foundation, and Yad Vashem, thank you to each and every person who has supported the mission and engaged with us this year. We look forward to continued progress and even greater impact in the years to come.