With extremism and hate crimes unprecedentedly high across the US, many teachers are availing themselves of TOLI Holocaust education programs this summer as a lens through which to address the causes and consequences of intolerance.

“History, specifically the Holocaust, has taught us what happens when good people stand by and do nothing. This generation is the first to have had the benefit of a more comprehensive Holocaust education and I believe that they are putting what they have learned into action,” says Bettina Pope, a TOLI alumnae who teaches in Wake Forest, NC.

Ms. Pope is one of hundreds of educators who participate in programs organized annually by The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights.  Each seminar explores the Holocaust, when six million Jews were murdered, to understand the danger of untrammeled bigotry and hatred, and what can be done to prevent such atrocities.  

A record number of hate crimes against Asian-Americans, soaring anti-Semitic attacks, and the reportage of systemic racism against African-Americans during the last year have increased the need for these  programs (see list below). They flourish in an environment  fed by conspiracy theories, stereotypes and hate-mongering. 

Here is a calendar of our summer programs, which will be conducted in-person unless otherwise noted: 

• Arizona, June 7-10 and 14-17 (Hybrid): Flipping the Script: How Narrative Acts of Resistance during the Holocaust Can Teach Us To Tell Our Own True Stories
• Billings, Montana, June 13-19: Worlds Apart but not Strangers: Holocaust Education and Indian Education for All
• New York, June 18-21 (Virtual):  TOLI Flagship Seminar
• Virginia, June 21-25 (Hybrid): Bringing Human Rights into the Classroom through Exploration of the Holocaust and Virginia’s History of Racial Injustice
• Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 21-25: Social Justice Lessons in the Heartland: Exploring the Holocaust and Human Rights in Oklahoma’s History
• California, July 8-29 (Virtual): Crossing Lines: Standing Up for Human Rights
• Charlotte, North Carolina, July 11-16: Defying the “Single Story”: Resistance, Holocaust, and Human Rights in the Classroom
• St. Cloud, Minnesota, July 11-17: Honoring Resilience: Learning from the Holocaust and Dakota Exile
• Salisbury, Maryland, July 18-23: The Holocaust, Human Rights, and the Role of Education
• Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 19-23: Teaching the Holocaust for Social Justice: The New Mexico Summer Satellite for Educators
• Wisconsin, July 26-30 (Hybrid): Looking to the Past to Envision the Future: Holocaust Education and Lessons for Today
• Portland, Oregon, August 2-6: Lessons from the Past: Understanding the Holocaust and Human Rights Violations

The Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) provides professional development seminars for educators in the US and abroad that link the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides to current world events, working with teachers to promote a human rights and social justice agenda in their classrooms.