This July Forum organized online workshops for teachers in our School of Dialogue network dedicated to “Using Images of the Shoah in Teaching Practice.” The participants discussed the challenges of teaching about the Holocaust.

One of such challenges is the historical documentation to be used in class. Nazis used to document their extermination of Jews on photographs and film, and thus created the image repertoire most associated with the Holocaust. The participants of the workshop used the most recognizable images from that archive and considered their educational impact and the consequences of using perpetrator-centered images. Taking the victims subjectivity as their starting point, the participants discussed how and if to show images of the Holocaust when teaching about it. They shared personal experiences and good practices used in class, the teachers created ways of using the images in a way that ensures the victims their dignity and takes into account students’ sensitivities.

Another challenge addressed in the unusual time of the epidemic is remote teaching. The workshop participants considered the greatest issues of teaching about the Holocaust using online tools in the event that schools are not back this fall.

The workshop was conducted by Izabela Meyza, a cultural anthropologist, mediator and emphatic communication coach, who for many years has been working with the Forum, and who is one of the authors behind the School of Dialogue educational materials.