| 2012 |
Warsaw
Polish Air Forces High School No.39
Polish Air Forces High School No.39
| 2012 |
For seniors from Warsaw’s Polish Air Forces High School No.39, participation in the 2012 edition of School of Dialogue offered more than just an opportunity to discover their city’s Jewish past. Sessions led by Forum’s educators are always a safe platform for expression of opinions and open discussion of issues that young adults find important. Although initial mutual contacts between educators and the students were difficult, the latter appreciated the fact they could be heard out.
Due to students’ active participation in discussions, the two workshops held in the school steered towards a debate on the complicated issues of identity, patriotism, civic obligations, war dilemmas, as well as present-day Polish-Jewish relations and contemporary Israel. Extramural workshops focused on Warsaw’s Jewish history – its visible heritage in the form of the Jewish cemetery at ul.Okopowa and the invisible phantom looming over the area of the former ghetto.
Driven by curiosity, students decided to conduct a street poll in the school’s neighborhood on Poles’ attitudes towards Jews and knowledge of Warsaw’s Jewish history among non-Jews as their commemorative project.
School of Dialogue in the Polish Air Forces High School No.39 was a challenge for both students and educators. The former deemed that it is necessary for them as patriots to learn about the rich and diverse past of their hometown and began to redefine some basic concepts.
One of the female students had this to say about her experience:
“I think that more such classes and workshops are needed. They make us aware of the historical events, acquaint us with the history of the city in which we live in, unaware of what had happened here in the past. I evaluate this workshop very positively, I learned a lot and I will gladly participate in other workshops on this or related subject matters.
School:
Polish Air Forces High School No.39 in Warsaw
Students:
a group of high school seniors
Teacher:
Andrzej Kuśmierski
Educators:
Beata Godlewska, Magdalena Ogieniewska
To read more about Warsaw visit Virtual Shtetl:
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this educational program. Through recovering the assets of the victims of the Holocaust, the Claims Conference enables organizations around the world to provide education about the Shoah and to preserve the memory of those who perished.
In appreciation to Friends of the Forum for supporting the School of Dialogue educational program.
