Katya Georgieva Oncheva, Burgas
This project was developed by Katya Georgieva Oncheva in Burgas and was focused on the fate of the Jewish children during the Holocaust. It involved 42 students in 12 working groups. They explored the following topics: Nazi Germany and the policy of anti-Semitism, child victims of the Holocaust, righteous and rescuers.
In February and March students chose their themes and started the work. They translated materials from German and English, gathered information and prepared their presentations. In their work the students received support from the high school director, the school psychologist, librarian, teachers of Bulgarian language and literature, German and English, art and information technologies. In April and May the groups presented their work in history classes. This way, about 160 students were given the opportunity to learn about different aspects related to the Holocaust and to take part in the discussions that followed the presentations.
In June we organized two seminars. The first seminar was attended by 30 students from 9th and 10th grade. Students of the 10th grade presented a demographic map of the Jewish community in Bulgaria from the 1st to the 21st century. They studied the history of anti-Semitism and presented in groups their work on the subject. We also organized a discussion on the topic: Why is it important to remember the Holocaust?
The final activity involved 60 students. They wrote letters to Holocaust victims, collected them in a “Box of letters” and presented posters with the message “You are not forgotten!” in an exhibition called The Wall of Memory.
The students who participated in the project said that the opportunity to work on the subject of the fate of Jewish children in Holocaust has enabled them to touch on personal stories, experiences and pain that made them think about the role of the individual in history, the role of memory and last but not least, the responsibilities that each person has in society. Some students say they did not know much about the Holocaust and are now seeing this story and human rights in a different, more responsible way.
We plan to develop a Reading & Sharing corner on the Holocaust and Human Rights to be arranged at the beginning of the next school year. This small library will become the basis of a “Read and Share” competition for creative writing or other creative expression. The Box of letters will be provided as a material for future students to be used in various discussions on human rights and tolerance in society.