Who Belongs? Jewish Identity, the Holocaust, and the American Promise

Date: July 13-17, 2026

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About the 2026 Program

Come to Philadelphia and explore how the printed word, film, and images impact Holocaust education, identity formation, and cultural appreciation. Investigate how language and visual communication can be used to inform or misinform. Access unique museum collections and wrestle with how the choice of language and images is never neutral.

2026 Program Benefits

During the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding:

  • Visit the National Constitution Center
  • Visit the Independence National Historical Park
  • Learn how to teach using artifacts from a child of a Holocaust survivor
  • Strengthen your teaching through collaboration, exploring best practices and tackling real classroom challenges alongside fellow educators in a supportive learning community

In partnership with Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

Leaders

  • Matthew Good

    Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Matthew is the 2024 recipient of the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award from the Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA).

    He is the Instructional Technology Librarian at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. In addition, he serves as the librarian for the Educators’ Institute for Human Rights (EIHR) where he evaluates and curates resources on genocide and mass atrocities. Matthew’s essay, When Schools Ban Books, They Silence Diverse Voices, was published as part of Equity Planning for School Leaders Approaches to Student Diversity, Access and Opportunity by McFarland in November 2023. Previously, he worked as a school librarian for over thirteen years. 

    He is an alum of the Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Teachers’ Program, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) Teacher Fellowship (2014-2015), The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (TOLI) Leadership Institute and a Defiant Requiem Foundation Teaching Ambassador. In 2018, Matthew received a National Education Association Learning and Leadership Grant to travel and study in Rwanda, Africa. He attended the inaugural Holocaust Education and Policy Summit hosted by the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect at the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the American Library Association (ALA) and is on the Intellectual Freedom Round Table and Pennsylvania School Library Association (PSLA) and is on the Intellectual Freedom Task Group.

  • Kimberly Jones

    Kimberly S. Jones is an educator with a mission to transform lives through learning and equity. As the 2023-24 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina State Teacher of the Year, she has made a lasting impact on students, educators, and communities across the state.

    For over 19 years, Kimberly has taught high school English and humanities at Chapel Hill High School, engaging students in courses like World Literature and AP African American Studies. Her teaching sparks critical conversations on history, identity, and justice. As a consultant with The Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) and a PBS education consultant, she designs culturally relevant lessons to inspire understanding and action.

  • Jennifer Lemberg

    Jennifer Lemberg received her Ph.D. in English and a Certificate in Women’s Studies from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

    Her co-edited volume with Alexander Pope, Becoming a Holocaust Educator: Purposeful Pedagogy Through Inquiry, published by Teachers College Press and the National Writing Project, was released in October 2021.

    Jennifer ran TOLI’s US Programs for 19 years. She continues to work with TOLI on special projects.