TOLI held its thirteenth annual summer seminar in NYC from June 16 – 28, with participants including 23 middle school, high school, and college faculty members from across the United States and one from Greece. This year was especially notable in that with the participation of teachers from North Dakota, Vermont, and Hawaii, TOLI has now reached educators in all 50 states.

Highlights of the seminar included:

-Hearing testimony from Holocaust survivors Irving Roth and William Bernheim

-Learning from scholars including Mehnaz Afridi, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Holocaust, Genocide & Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College, and Racelle Weiman, expert in Holocaust Studies and Genocide Prevention

-A screening of “Defiant Requiem,” about the role of music in the lives of prisoners at Terezin concentration camp, followed by a Skype visit with director Murry Sidlin

-Visiting the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in lower Manhattan

-Meeting with Rabbi Joel Mosbacher of Temple Shaaray Tefila, followed by services at the temple and Shabbat dinner at the Memorial Library

-A klezmer performance and talk by Rabbi Greg Wall and accompanying musicians

-In-depth and collaborative small group sessions with fellow participants around questions of classroom practice, how educators navigate the challenges of teaching about the Holocaust and social justice in today’s world, and how identity informs our work

-Opportunities to explore the rich cultural offerings of NYC