The ICHEIC Program
for Holocaust Education in Europe

In recent years we have witnessed a growing interest among European countries to educate and commemorate the Holocaust. Many of these countries have formally instituted Holocaust remembrance days and educational programs, thus increasing the need for accurate, relevant lesson plans and pedagogical guidance.

In order to meet these challenges, the International School for Holocaust Studies established the ICHEIC Program for Holocaust Education in Europe, the aim of which is the expansion of the scope of Holocaust study throughout Europe, particularly within the framework of formal education. An important goal of the ICHEIC Program is the creation of a network of teachers in order to widen the circle of qualified Holocaust educators throughout Europe who will support and implement educational programs. It is largely due to the wide professional expertise garnered within the International School since its inception in 1993, that the Program’s educational activities can be conducted on such an international scale.

The Program is being funded through the generous assistance of the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC).

ICHEIC was established in 1998 following negotiations among European insurance companies and U.S. insurance regulators, as well as representatives of international Jewish and survivor organizations and the State of Israel.

ICHEIC's settlement agreements with various insurance companies and the German Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility, and Future" provide for funds to be made available for humanitarian purposes related to the Holocaust.

The ICHEIC Program for Holocaust Education in Europe is charged with preserving and perpetuating the memory of the Holocaust and its lessons, combating the rise in antisemitism, safeguarding human rights and preventing racism and xenophobia.

Since the establishment of the ICHEIC Program in 2005, the International School for Holocaust Studies has conducted a record number of seminars for educators from abroad, including from Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Finland, Liechtenstein, Scandinavia, Greece, Belgium, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Germany, Austria, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, UK and Italy.

For the ICHEIC website, click here.

The focus of the European Department is three-fold:

1. Teacher Training
The European Department, in conjunction with government ministries, local institutions and memorial sites, conducts, one to two-week seminars at Yad Vashem, and shorter programs in Europe, for European educators. The main aim of the seminars is to provide the educators with the necessary tools to teach the Holocaust. Participants are familiarized with the pedagogical philosophy of the International School for Holocaust Education, and with age-appropriate material designed to highlight moral dilemmas and other educational questions related to this difficult subject matter. Included in the seminar programs are academic lectures, and pedagogical workshops, the aim of which are to familiarize the participants with teaching methods and lesson plans. In addition, meetings with teachers and educators, testimonies from Holocaust survivors and tours in Israel are provided. The content of each seminar is tailor-made according to the country of origin of the participants. To help facilitate a constructive learning process, preparatory and concluding meetings are also organized.

2. Educational Materials
The European Department develops interdisciplinary study material for teachers and students in consultation with its partners across the continent. Alongside lesson plans focusing on specific themes, the European Department also designs general lesson plans focusing on Jewish communities in various European countries and everyday life during the Holocaust in a variety of European languages including in Hungarian, Romanian, Polish, Lithuanian, German, French, Russian, Italian, Croatian, and Czech, many of which can be found on our website.

For lesson plans in languages, click here.

3. Follow-Up for Seminars and Courses
The European Department encourages seminar graduates to promote Holocaust education in their home countries, while making use of the techniques, methods, and knowledge they have gained at Yad Vashem. Some of our graduates have written curricula, developed mobile exhibits, and produced drama performances and multimedia programs. For example, students in various European nations have been encouraged to research a community that no longer exists in their town. Others encouraged their students to preserve or to repair some of their local Jewish cemeteries.

In order to encourage these initiatives, the European Department strives to maintain their connections with the graduates of these seminars and to provide them with an address to where they can direct educational and content questions. These activities are coordinated through the forum for Holocaust educators and via videoconferences that encourage a professional dialogue in various European countries.

Upcoming ICHEIC Seminars for European Educators:

• Seminar for Hungarian educators: November 5-16, 2008
• Seminar for Ukrainian educators: November 2-14, 2008
• Seminar for Irish educators: November 7-16, 2008
• Seminar for Hungarian educators: November 22 - December 1, 2008
• Seminar for Senior Slovenian educators: November 22-30, 2008
• Seminar for German journalists: November 24-27, 2008
• Seminar for German educators (Saxony): Nov. 20 - Dec. 12, 2008
• Seminar for Polish Graduates: December 7-21, 2008
• Seminar for Italian educators: January 1-8, 2009
• Seminar for Polish educators from the Lodz region: January 4-18, 2009
• Seminar for Polish clergy: February 1-15, 2009
• Seminar for Slovenina educators: February 15-27, 2009
• Fourth Annual ICHEIC Forum: February 22-25, 2009
  

European Department
Tel: 972-2-6443650
Fax: 972-2-6443649
Email: europe@yadvashem.org.il