Czech Republic

TOLI’s first-ever seminar in the Czech Republic brought educators together in Brno and Brněnec from August 18–22 to deepen their knowledge and confidence in teaching about the Holocaust, antisemitism, human rights, and democratic values. Developed in partnership with the Zachor Foundation for Social Remembrance and ARKS Foundation, the seminar introduced Czech educators to TOLI’s interdisciplinary, student-centered approach to Holocaust and human rights education.

Participants examined antisemitism past and present, the Holocaust in Europe and in Bohemia and Moravia, Holocaust distortion, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Through discussions, experiential learning, site visits, survivor testimony, and innovative educational tools, educators explored how to turn difficult history into meaningful classroom learning.

Highlights included an IWalk through Jewish Brno, a visit to a local synagogue and meeting with Rabbi Kliment, and a workshop at the Maly Mehrin Museum exploring the histories of Moravian Jewish communities. Participants also heard the testimony of Holocaust survivor Ivo Rotter, followed by a session on using survivor testimony, IWitness, and IWalk in the classroom.

The program continued with a visit to Brněnec and the Museum of Survivors at the former Schindler’s factory, connecting local history and place-based learning with the stories of those who survived.

The seminar concluded with educators developing action plans for bringing what they learned into their own classrooms, with the opportunity to continue their work through TOLI’s Impact Grant Program. The program also included a visit to the Museum of Romani Culture, broadening participants’ understanding of the Holocaust and the genocide of Roma and Sinti.

We are proud to welcome Czech educators into the TOLI European Network and look forward to supporting them as they bring this learning to their students and communities.