Poland

Participant in Poland

A graduate of the 2021 Poland Seminar, where participants dove into historical and current dialectical discussions concerning the Holocaust.

Since 2018, TOLI has organized yearly Holocaust and human rights education seminars for teachers in Poland, in partnership with Big Picture Association and POLIN – Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

TOLI’s Poland Seminar brings together 30-35 middle and high school teachers from across Poland to explore the country’s unique Holocaust history in Warsaw and Krakow. Participants learn about Jewish culture and history in Poland with guided tours of the POLIN museum and memorial sites, including Majdanek and Auschwitz. The seminar also includes visits to the Warsaw ghetto, Kazimierz in Krakow.

The participants learn from local and international experts on how to educate their students about these complex issues. Presentations also include an overview of the support available for educators teaching on these issues. Through an in-depth study of identity, stereotypes, and antisemitism, participants work together to develop activities to bring back to the classroom.

The objective of the seminar is to:

  • Develop participants’ awareness of historical and current dialectical discussions concerning the Holocaust
  • Further teachers’ understanding of the impact of stereotypes, prejudice, and individual, group, and societal discrimination
  • Deepen teachers’ knowledge of Jewish life before and after the Holocaust
  • Raise awareness about the prevalence of hate speech and discuss ways to address it at school
  • Increase participants’ appreciation for innovative, student-centered teaching methods, including extra-curricular activities and partnerships between schools and other institutions and organizations
  • Promote an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about the Holocaust and human rights
  • Understand and counter Holocaust distortion.

Impact Grants
Graduates of the seminar have the opportunity to apply for an impact grant to develop projects related to Holocaust education and social justice. The grant consists of financial support and continuous mentorship throughout the school year. Every year, about 15 educators from Poland benefit from the TOLI Impact Grant Program.

Thank you to the Mostysser Family for their generous support of our Poland Seminar. 

Contact

For more information about The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (TOLI), please contact info@tolinstitute.org

TOLI is located at 58 East 79th Street in Manhattan. (get directions)