On Monday, one hundred and fifty Holocaust educators from forty countries around the world will gather for a four-day conference in Jerusalem entitled “Holocaust Education in a Global Context.” The conference, which will take place at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, is the first conference of its kind to take place on the Mount of Remembrance since the October 7 Massacre and will highlight the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance in the post-October 7 world.
Conference participants will discuss the challenges of Holocaust education and will learn about the latest tools, methodologies, and resources to effectively teach the Holocaust. Through a series of in-depth workshops, lectures, and discussions, they will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practices, and collaborate on strategies to combat antisemitism, Holocaust distortion, and historical inaccuracies.
Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan emphasized the significance of the conference in the current global climate, stating, “At a time when antisemitism is exploding around the world, we are seeing more and more rampant Holocaust distortion in mainstream society. This conference is not just a meeting of the minds of educators who are charged with teaching the Holocaust to our younger generations. It is a message of commitment to the history and a signal to our educational leaders that Holocaust education is essential not only for knowledge and awareness about the history but is a vital tool in fostering a more tolerant and open society.”
Faiçal Marjani, a conference attendee from Morocco, said, “I am coming to Israel during this critical time for a specific mission: to denounce the alarming rise of antisemitism since October 7. It is imperative that we unite our efforts to combat these reprehensible practices and the destructive radicalism they breed. When visiting Israel in April, I witnessed the Iranian attacks from the balcony of my hotel room. Now, I am visiting with a group of young Moroccans to express our steadfast support against terrorism and to firmly affirm that Israelis have an unequivocal right to self-defense.” Marjani is working to develop a new initiative directed at raising awareness and educating the Arab world about the Holocaust, both academically and historically. “The lack of knowledge about this tragedy among Arab populations is concerning, and it is crucial to address this gap to combat antisemitism, radicalism, and discrimination,” he added.
Andelka Petrovic, an educator from Serbia, said, “I believe that participation in the conference is especially important in these sensitive times. I am glad that the conference will take place and that a large number of teachers will gather there. I believe this sends an important message that life cannot stop and that schools work and teachers teach even in challenging times.”
Urs Urech, a Swiss educator who has attended previous conferences at Yad Vashem, noted, “The good learning experiences from past conferences and the network of Holocaust educators motivate me to come to Israel. The visible and violent antisemitism in Switzerland since October 7 is pushing me to the conference at Yad Vashem,” adding that he plans on utilizing the insights he will gain from the conference to provide teacher training in Switzerland.
Yad Vashem’s Conference on Holocaust Education in a Global Context will highlight the importance of understanding the Holocaust in light of contemporary antisemitism, and will help in the development of the leaders of tomorrow, who must acknowledge the past in order to ensure a better shared future for all.
This article was written in cooperation with Yad Vashem