With the advent of Austria's Freedom Party, the Pope's recent visit to Israel, the war in Kosovo, and rising anti-immigrant feelings in Europe it is an appropriate time to recall the horrors of the Holocaust. The Pope apologized for the failings of individuals to act. It was failure to stop the rise of Nazism or for turning our backs on those fighting for their lives. Yet, I wonder if we are doomed to repeat this event. We have a unique opportunity to connect current and historical events with teachers and students.
Many educators feel inadequate in teaching the Holocaust.
Fortunately there are abundant resources available in print and on the web. The first place to begin is the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum which includes guidelines for teaching the Holocaust. Tips, such as not to make comparisons between the sufferings of different peoples throughout history, are elemental to our presentation. An invaluable site is the Holocaust Teacher Resource Center . This site is part of the Holocaust Web Ring.