Annual Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium
The Holocaust did not happen overnight; nor did it occur in a vacuum. It was the result of a slow shift in definition of what were already understood and accepted concepts of good and evil. The Holocaust, therefore, was possible not because Hitler was a charismatic speaker or a cruel dictator, but because so much of his party’s intellectual and therefore ethical construct was already familiar to the people of Europe. As a result, the people of Germany and the many Nazi party members and soldiers were not deficient in moral sensibilities nor were they quintessentially evil or brutal people; they were in fact ethically sensitive. For them such deeds were simply no longer understood as evil. Herein lies the need for tolerance education. Through a thought-provoking study of the Holocaust and the social environment that led to it students can learn to counteract ignorance, brutality, and contempt fostered by intolerance as well as recognize the importance in following a moral compass that elevates the individual and the democratic values that nurture such a society.
The Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium elevates, empowers, and enlightens classroom teachers through general and break-out sessions led by Holocaust survivors or their descendants and experienced classroom teachers just like them to become advocates for academic integrity, democratic values, truth, historical accuracy, and compassionate communities in their schools.
Are you an experienced Holocaust classroom teacher? Apply to be one of our presenters.
Open Call For Papers
2022
Why is Zachor Shoah devoted to making Never Again a reality via this Symposium:
No one says it better than Rabbi Sachs. Listen here.
Atlanta Georgia
The Details
The Annual Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium is a 3 day intense teacher-created teacher-led professional development symposium where the participants gain priceless knowledge pertaining to the complex history of the Holocaust, 2000 years of Antisemitism in Europe, the roles of imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, economics, and democracy on the sociopolitical changes in Europe and how individuals were affected by these changes and how to accurately and appropriately bring these lessons to the 6-12 classroom. At the core of it all are raw historical facts, 100% applicable meaningful age appropriate lessons, and the support of interdisciplinary team teaching.
The symposium is a Zachor Shoah event. As such the symposium seeks to put substance over style. It is not enough to say we did something, we must actually achieve it. It is far more important to us to create a strong robust community of professional educators focused on bringing the respect and academic validity to the subject that it deserves than to have thousands of participants in one year. We seek to inspire, inform, and involve amazing English, History, and Artistic Electives educators in grades K12 and provide the foundations for a scholarly community among school educators centered around Interdisciplinary Holocaust Studies.
Are you an exceptional teacher in your subject area of English, History/Social Studies, or Artistic Electives and want to learn how to better teach the Holocaust through interdisciplinary team teaching? Or do you want to improve and grow on what you are already doing? Then this symposium is for you.
If you are an award winning Holocaust educator having received recognition for your work in the classroom in grades K12, we encourage you to apply to be a presenter at the symposium by going to the Call for Papers section of this site.
Symposium Schedule:
September 8
6:15 PM - 8:15 PM
*Pre-Conference Welcome Cocktail Hour & Dinner
Atlanta
Day One: September 9
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Registration & Breakfast
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM - Morning Sessions
Opening Remarks and Session I: Foundations to an effective Interdisciplinary Holocaust & Human Rights program - Carolina Simon followed by Guest Speaker: TBA - the essence of education & its connection to creating enlightened individuals free of hate & bigotry.
Atlanta
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Session II: Historical Foundations of the Holocaust (for all teachers)- part 1 - Antisemitism
Atlanta
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Key Note Speaker: Ramona Bessinger
Atlanta
12: 00PM - 1:00PM Lunch
1:10 PM - 2:30 PM
General Session: Documentary The Barn and Q & A session with Documentary Filmmaker Rachel Kastner.
Atlanta
2:45PM - 3:45 PM
Session II: Historical Foundations of the Holocaust (for all teachers)- part 2 - The Holocaust Years
Atlanta
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Session III: Subject specific break out sessions
Session A - Language Arts : TBA
Session B - History: TBA
Session C - Artistic Electives: TBA
Atlanta
7:00 PM
*Shabbat Dinner
Atlanta
Day Two: September 10
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Registration & Breakfast
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
General Session: creating a school-wide program with Carolina Simon followed by Guest Speaker TBA: the legal rights of Holocaust teachers when teaching a subject increasingly considered controversial.
Atlanta
10:15 AM - 11:45 AM- Morning Sessions
Session I: Subject specific break out sessions
Session A: Language Arts: Teaching the Holocaust in the English Classroom with Ramona Bessinger
Session B: History: TBA
Session C: Artistic Electives: TBA
Atlanta
11:50-12:50PM - Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM - Afternoon Sessions
Session II: School team specific break out session (for those teachers traveling as a team):Holocaust Studies in the secondary school- teaching through an interdisciplinary lens & building a school-wide program with Carolina Simon
Session III: Subject specific break out sessions
Session A Language Arts: TBA
Session B History: TBA
Session C Artistic Electives:TBA
2:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Afternoon Tea with Holocaust Survivors
Atlanta
5:00 PM - 6:15 PM
Day 2: General Session an Evening with Joel Poremba (Son of Holocaust survivor & author of My Name is Staszek Surdel)
Atlanta
7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
*Dinner & a Movie : TBA
Atlanta
September 11
10:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Closing Statements & Farewell Brunch
Atlanta
*Certificates of Completion that may serve as evidence of professional development hours will be given to all teachers at the Farewell Brunch.
Date: September 8-11 2022* Location: Atlanta Georgia*
Limited number of spaces available. **
** Attendees will receive their Symposium Materials & Tote Bag upon arrival.
* This is an in-person event of a maximum of 100 people (Covid permitting)
Virtual Attendance option TBD.
Registration:
*Early Individual Registration Rate: $50
* Early Group Registration Rate (3 teachers from one school): $125
Early Registration ends Feb. 28 2022 - register early and save 50%!
** packages include attendance at all workshops, lectures, and key note speaker events. All snacks and meals provided throughout the day as well as welcome Tote with materials required for the event and a large variety of books etc provided by our sponsors, Welcome Dinner and more!
Does not include transportation/airfare .
Purchase tickets via link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annual-interdisciplinary-holocaust-studies-teacher-symposium-tickets-142592364601
Getting There
TRANSPORTATION
We currently do not have specific information on travel information for out of town teachers. Please check back soon
ACCOMMODATION
We currently do not have specific information regarding accommodations for our of town teachers. Please check back soon.
Sponsors & Partner Organizations
Thank you to our sponsors!
The Child Survivors/ Hidden Children of the Holocaust, Palm Beach County, Florida
We Dared to Live
My Name is Staszek Surdel
