The Holocaust / Annual Remembrance Week

SB 1828 instructs the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission (THGC) to develop or approve materials for a statewide Holocaust Remembrance Week, starting in the 2019-2020 school year. At the THGC’s suggestion, the Governor’s Office has chosen the week of January 27th as the date for Remembrance Week. (International Holocaust Remembrance Day is January 27, which is the date that Auschwitz was “liberated” by Allied troops.)

School districts and educators are advised to read the legislation. The THGC is not tasked with presenting a fixed curriculum that all schools must follow for Holocaust Remembrance Week. Acknowledging that Texas students are best served when educators have choices in the shaping of instruction, the THGC leaves it up to individual school districts to observe Holocaust Remembrance Week by selecting from any of the items listed/linked on this page. In the tabs below, the THGC has sought to assemble a variety of tips and materials that readily align with different subject matters, intelligences, and teaching styles.

Best Practices:

All Schools: SB 1828 calls on the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission to develop or approve all materials that will be used in Texas classrooms during Holocaust Remembrance Week. The THGC's Holocaust Remembrance Week page provides educators with an assortment of options regarding materials to use. Please contact the THGC's office for any necessary clarification, suggestions, or guidance.

Effective instruction on the Holocaust must provide historical context, which necessarily involves the study of antisemitism. Educators are advised to visit the THGC's page on antisemitism; the page's content is approved for use during Holocaust Remembrance Week. However, students should be introduced to the themes of who the Jews are and what Judaism is before any Holocaust instruction occurs. Otherwise, students will be inclined to perceive Jews as natural and inevitable targets of persecution. (This might mean presenting a lesson on the Jews before teaching Holocaust history or Holocaust literature.)

Elementary Schools: SB 1828 calls for age-appropriate instruction, as determined by each school district. Please note that the THGC, like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, does not recommend explicit Holocaust instruction before 6th grade. Elementary schools are advised to choose their own materials that cover broader themes. These include:

• Community
• Tolerance (fighting prejudice)
• Responsible citizenship (being an upstander)
  
• Anti-bullying
• Who the Jews are (This way, when Holocaust instruction occurs in the upper grades, it is not the students' first introduction to Jews or Judaism. This is key to making sure that students do not perceive Jewish identity solely through the lens of victimization.)
  

Middle Schools & High Schools: In shaping Holocaust Remembrance Week implementation in schools, the THGC looks to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)’s Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust. The THGC strongly recommends that all educators familiarize themselves with these 10 guidelines before offering any instruction on the Holocaust. First among the guidelines is the necessity of clearly defining the Holocaust when engaging students.

Middle school and high school educators should be sure to offer clear instruction on these subjects:

• What the Holocaust was (including the definition; see below)
  
• How the Nazis singled out the Jews for total annihilation and spread the lie that the killing of every Jewish man, woman, and child was essential to the world's salvation
  
• How antisemitism is a danger that reflects a psychological and spiritual illness in a society
• How the Holocaust signifies a breakdown of ethics, such as the devaluation of human life, which was necessary so that even the most educated people would support or participate in the killing process
• How the Holocaust began in a society in which individuals and groups failed to protect the rights of minorities (Jews, Roma/Sinti, homosexuals, etc.) and democratic institutions (legislature, courts, free press, truthful instruction in schools, etc.)
  

Holocaust Definition:

The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. (Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Other Victims of the Nazis:

The Nazis also persecuted Roma, the disabled, Poles, political opponents, Socialists, Communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, Soviet civilians, and blacks.
(Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

By clearly teaching this definition, educators are better positioned to avoid the problematic trend of de-Judaizing the Holocaust.

In particular, the experiences of the Roma (Gypsies), who were also persecuted and murdered by the Nazis, are a valid extension of lessons on the Holocaust. The research on the Roma by former THGC Commissioner Dr. Ian Hancock of the University of Texas is worth exploring; he coined the term, Porajmos, to refer to the Nazi persecution and mass murder of the Roma. Doris Bergen’s War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust also includes several pages on the Roma. International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) released in October 2020 its working definition of antigypsyism.

Other Genocides in History:

As a state commission, the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission supports education on the Armenian genocide, the Cambodian genocide, the Rwandan genocide, the Bosnian genocide, the Darfur genocide, and the Syrian/Iraqi genocide. Educators wishing to extend lessons to include these other genocides may look to resources on the THGC website: Genocide Page (including overviews), Vocabulary, Guidelines for Teaching About Genocide, as well as materials from outside organizations and museums listed on the "RECOMMENDED Resources, Lesson Plans, and Links" tab below. In particular, the online resources for the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum also feature a set of graphic novels based on 10 Stages of Genocide. 

Educators should make sure to convey that, while some similarities exist, the Holocaust was not identical to other genocides, just as they are not identical to one another.

Additional Insights:

For additional guidance, educators can find Lawrence Langer’s essay, “Opening Locked Doors: Reflections on Teaching the Holocaust” in the THGC’s Online Digital Library for Educators (ODLE). (Register with your school e-mail account.)

Educators are also advised to review the THGC’s “Red Flag Terms” list to understand the implications and importance of language in teaching about the Holocaust.

Please be aware that Holocaust education inevitably engages disturbing themes. Some of the recommended materials include written accounts or imagery that may not be suitable to all students. The THGC cautions that educators should closely review materials according to local community and district standards before electing to teach with them.

Having Options:

The THGC is honored to support the design and implementation of Holocaust Remembrance Week across the state. We have worked hard to assemble a wide array of materials that can strengthen young people's grasp of a complex and disturbing subject. No one book, film, or resource on the Holocaust will be required for every classroom. Rather, you are free to choose from what is found on the "RECOMMENDED Resources, Lesson Plans, and Links" tab below as you develop a curriculum that works best in your classroom.

After reading through the "HOW to Teach About the Holocaust" tab above, you should then examine the many options for materials, lesson plans, readings, and audiovisual resources that are featured on tabs farther down on this page. We encourage you to consult with other educators on your campus to coordinate instruction.

Help Is Available:

Contact THGC Director of Education Dr. J.E. Wolfson with any questions. Also, consider inviting our team to be part of your instruction. We may be available to engage in a Q&A (on Zoom) or some other lesson format with your students during Remembrance Week. Please contact us about this as soon possible, as we have a small staff and expect our schedules to fill up. (All of our services are free.)

Using Social Media:

You are encouraged to share your classroom successes on social media under the hashtag #TexasHRW and are welcome to tag the THGC with @TxHGC.

2021 Keynote Speaker:

We invite you to show students a video program featuring this year's Texas Holocaust Remembrance Week keynote speaker, Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth, who will talk about her experiences as a child survivor in Hungary, her memoirs, and her work as a Holocaust studies scholar in Texas. THGC Commissioner Dr. David Patterson and Director of Education Dr. J.E. Wolfson will conduct the Q&A. You can now view and share Part I & Part II of the interview with your students.

Giving Feedback:

Please complete this feedback form once you have completed your Holocaust Remembrance Week activities. Please encourage your students to complete the form, as well.

$1,000 Annual Teaching Award:

You are encouraged to include examples from your Remembrance Week planning and experiences when completing the 2021 Dr. Anna Steinberger Outstanding Educator Award application, which will be posted on the THGC website in January 2021. This award includes a $1,000 check made directly payable to one Texas educator.

Introduction:

There is no expectation that classes need to cover all or even most of what is listed below. For some educators, it may be sufficient to choose one or two items to teach during this year's Remembrance Week. A good rule of thumb might be to add more of the materials each year for Remembrance Week.
All materials featured on this page are approved for Holocaust Remembrance Week.

Short List of Recommended Lesson Plans for 2021:

Texas educators are neither limited nor required to teach the lessons on this list. If you are looking for user-friendly lesson plans from the organizations listed on this page, here are some great selections. (You are also free to choose other lesson plans from the organizations listed on this page.)

Recommended Lesson Plans from Echoes & Reflections:

For educators looking for a fully mapped out unit, Echoes is an excellent option. Echoes consists of nine thorough lessons in sequence, and not all nine must be taught for the unit to be effective. In Texas, Anti-Defamation League and Yad Vashem provide Echoes training and support to educators.
Lesson Plans: Echoes & Reflections

Recommended Lesson Plans from USHMM:

Lesson Plans: Foundational Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans: Teaching Materials for Americans and the Holocaust
Lesson Plans: Oaths and Opposition: Education under the Third Reich
Lesson Plan: US Newspapers and the Holocaust

Recommended Lesson Plans from Other Organizations:

Lesson Plan: Jewish Life Before the Holocaust (by FHAO)
Lesson Plan: Lala - Reflections on Prejudice (by USC Shoah Foundation)
Lesson Plan: Teaching About the Perpetrators (by Yad Vashem)
Lesson Plan: The Kindertransport, Ask a Survivor (by DHHRM)
Lesson Plan: Teaching About the Holocaust through Children's Diaries (by Yad Vashem)
Lesson Plan: Hiding (by USC Shoah Foundation)
Lesson Plan: Hunger in the Łódź Ghetto (by USC Shoah Foundation)
Lesson Plan: Music as a Survival Tool (by FHAO)
Lesson Plan: The Life and Art of Samuel Bak (by HMH)
Lesson Plan: Righteous Among the Nations: Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara (by Yad Vashem)

Resources:

The THGC is aware that there are numerous available resources on the Holocaust. Seeking to give educators a range of choices, the THGC has created certain materials and approved others, many of which present firsthand accounts. Also, the THGC has restricted the list to works that are readily available, are a productive use of a class’s time, offer a wide variety of perspectives, and can reach students in different subjects, not just social studies.

Middle school and high school materials from the following listed organizations and museums are approved by the THGC. Most also provide educator training and support, and some present online survivor video testimonies of various lengths.

Resources by the THGC:

All THGC-created materials are recommended for classroom instruction in Holocaust Remembrance Week. The following resources that have been developed by the THGC are available for use.

• Printable written overview of the Holocaust
• Printable written vocabulary materials Vocabulary List / Red Flag Terms
• Online Digital Library for Educators (ODLE)
  *This is a password-protected collection of materials selected by the THGC. Registered educators may access materials for classroom use at no charge. Materials include essays, poems, book chapters and excerpts, films, and film clips.
  *Most materials in the ODLE are designed to be easily inserted into lessons that you teach. For example, one of the short videos might be used to illustrate a theme presented in one of the lesson plans above.
  *Educators of grades 6 – 12 who have not already registered for a free account with the ODLE may do so through the above link. When entering information, please include school e-mail (not Yahoo, gmail, etc.).

Resources by Holocaust Museums:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
There are many valuable resources on the USHMM website. For example, music teachers might consider using the museum’s music database, and social studies teachers might teach using History Unfolded. More generally, The Holocaust: A Learning Site for Students covers several topics. Animated maps, such as one on Auschwitz, can also be found. Specific links to recommended USHMM lesson plans are featured above.

Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
The museum’s website provides many valuable and TEKS-aligned resources, Holocaust Remembrance Week grade-aligned lesson plans, virtual field trips, and education programs. For example, the Every Child Has A Name Student Project encourages students to remember a child murdered during the Holocaust through research and creative thought.

El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center
EPHM offers free bilingual programs and resources for students and educators, including in-person tours, off-site or virtual presentations, education trunks of classroom resources, and educator workshops. EPHM’s website also houses oral testimonies searchable by topic of local Holocaust survivors. Coming spring 2021, EPHM will offer an interactive virtual tour of its permanent exhibit with companion resources and survivor testimonies for each gallery.

Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio
The museum has developed a wide array of resources and a special week of programming during Texas Holocaust Remembrance Week to help South Texas schools fulfill the educational mandates set by the state, including teacher workshops (three during Holocaust Remembrance Week), educational trunks, traveling exhibits, as well as prerecorded and live virtual presentations on the topic of instilling in the students, educators, and general audience Elie Wiesel’s message that “the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”

Holocaust Museum Houston
HMH offers free programs and resources for educators, including virtual and in-person tours and school visits, as well as Holocaust Remembrance Week lessons and resources. HMH’s newly expanded museum includes permanent galleries covering the Holocaust, human rights, the diaries of young people in times of war and genocide, and the art of Samuel Bak. The museum also hosts temporary exhibits on a variety of Holocaust and human rights topics throughout the year.

Yad Vashem
The largest Holocaust museum in the world offers extensive databases on survivors, victims, and rescuers. Yad Vashem designates the Righteous Among the Nations. There are also outstanding video clips on various subjects, including teaching the Holocaust using sports and through children in hiding. Links to specific Yad Vashem lesson plans are featured above.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum
The largest concentration camp and killing center is now a museum and memorial that offers publications and holds conferences.

The Pucker Gallery
Features the art of ghetto survivor Samuel Bak; art teachers may find this of interest; some of Bak’s work may also be seen in person at Holocaust Museum Houston

Resources by Other Organizations:

Facing History and Ourselves
For educators looking for a fully mapped out week-long unit, Facing History offers one. Additionally, see above for a couple of outstanding lesson plan options.

German Propaganda Archive
This Michigan-based university website provides an extensive online collection of Nazi anti-Jewish materials from before and during the Holocaust.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
This intergovernmental organization leads the way in setting standards for Holocaust education and researches Holocaust-related topics.

Texas Liberators
This project was funded by the THGC and was developed by a team at Texas Tech University. This project includes a traveling exhibit, an online module (app), and a book that was provided to every high school library in the state. Social Studies courses covering Texas, the United States, or modern Europe may find it helpful.

USC Shoah Foundation
This California-based institution is most famous for its extensive collection of survivor video testimonies.

Here is a short list of readings that are appropriate for readers no younger than 14.

Bauer, Yehuda. A History of the Holocaust. One of the most commonly taught secondary history texts

Borowski, Tadeusz. This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, translated by Barbara Vedder. Collection of short stories by a non-Jew who was imprisoned in Auschwitz; some stories are very short; two of the stories may be found in the ODLE

Browning, Christopher. The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, September 1939-March 1942. Very detailed secondary history text

Celan, Paul. Selected Poetry of Paul Celan, translated by Paul Felstiner. Poems by survivor; includes several of the most critically lauded Holocaust poems, such as “Death Fugue”; some poems may be found in the ODLE

Davidowicz, Lucy. The War Against the Jews. One of the first and most commonly taught secondary history texts

Delbo, Charlotte. None of Us Shall Return. Memoir by a non-Jew who was imprisoned in Auschwitz; can also be found published as a part of a much longer trilogy in one volume, Auschwitz and After; includes both prose and poetry

Frankl, Victor. Man’s Search for Meaning. Survivor memoir

Hiemer, Ernst. The Poisonous Mushroom, with illustrations by “Fipps”. Children’s picture book; highly disturbing Nazi antisemitic propaganda designed for young children, originally published by Julius Streicher; a first edition may be seen on exhibit at Holocaust Museum Houston; facsimile available here.

Hilberg, Raul. The Destruction of the European Jews. One of the first and most commonly taught secondary history texts

Hochstadt, Steve. Sources of the Holocaust. Anthology of short primary sources

Laqueur, Walter. The Changing Face of Antisemitism: From Ancient Times to the Present Day. Somewhat comprehensive examination of antisemitism, including Nazism

Leitner, Isabella. Fragments of Isabella. Survivor memoir; new edition published in 2018; very short chapters and short overall length

Lengyel, Olga. Five Chimneys. Survivor memoir; especially graphic and horrifying descriptions, even compared to most other memoirs

Levi, Primo. Survival in Auschwitz. Survivor memoir; one of the most famous and critically lauded memoirs; all memoirs by Levi are recommended; an excerpt from Levi’s The Reawakening is available in the ODLE.

Millu, Liana. Smoke Over Birkenau. Survivor memoir

Müller, Filip. Eyewitness Auschwitz: Three Years in the Gas Chambers. Survivor memoir; describes work by Sonderkommando in the gas chambers

Nomberg-Przytyk, Sarah. Auschwitz: True Tales from a Grotesque Land. Survivor memoir

Ozick, Cynthia. The Shawl. Novella; describes a mother’s horror at the brutal murder of her baby in a camp; short length; entire story may be found in the ODLE

Radnóti, Miklós. Foamy Sky: The Major Poems of Miklós Radnóti, A Bilingual Edition, translated by Zsuzsanna Ozsváth and Frederick Turner. Poems by victim of the Holocaust; victim was shot into mass grave; some poems were found in his pocket when his corpse was exhumed; both translators are faculty at UT-Dallas, and Ozsváth is a survivor

United Nations. 2019 Report on Antisemitism. Released September 2019; read the report here.

Wiesel, Elie. Night. Survivor memoir; author was the most famous survivor in the world and the recipient of Nobel Peace Prize; comparatively short length; excerpts may be found in the ODLE

Here is a short list of readings that are appropriate for readers no younger than 11.

Gilbert, Martin. Atlas of the Holocaust. Illustrated secondary history text

Klein, Gerda Weissmann. All But My Life. Survivor memoir; describes concentration camps and death march; author and account are also the subject of Oscar-winning documentary, One Survivor Remembers; excerpts are available in the ODLE

Ozsváth, Zsuzsanna. When the Danube Ran Red. Survivor memoir; describes hiding, witnessing the mass shooting of Jews; Texas connection: Author is an Endowed Chair in Holocaust Studies at UT-Dallas; a few chapters may be found in the ODLE; NOTE: an interview with Ozsváth can be viewed here (Part I) and here (Part II)

Pagis, Dan. The Selected Poetry of Dan Pagis, translated by Stephen Mitchell. Poems by a survivor; includes famous Holocaust poems, including “Written in Pencil on the Sealed Railway Car”; several poems may be found in the ODLE

Richter, Hans Peter. Friedrich. Autobiographical novel by member of the Hitler Youth; describes systematic, gradual persecution and murder of one Jewish family that author knew; short length, comparatively simple language; several chapters may be found in the ODLE

Sachs, Nelly. Collected Poems 1944-1949. Poems by Jewish woman who fled to Sweden to survive; poet became first Jewish woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature; includes famous poems, such as “O the Chimneys”

Senesh, Hannah. Her Life and Diary, The First Complete Edition. Biography, essays, and poetry; describes theme of Jewish resistance: a Jewish woman, as part of a small team of Jews that parachuted into Yugoslavia on a mission to save Hungary’s endangered Jews, is captured and executed; includes famous poems, such as “Blessed is the Match”

Siegal, Aranka. Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1939-1944. Survivor memoir; describes ghetto; narrative ends with deportation, so no camps are depicted for young readers; Newbery Honor Book; a few chapters may be found in the ODLE

Wiesenthal, Simon. The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness. Survivor memoir with symposia; has two parts: In the first, the survivor recounts his experience as a camp inmate who was asked for forgiveness by a dying SS officer; in the second, people from a variety of backgrounds provide brief responses offering thoughts on whether forgiveness should have been given. While this is a highly engaging text to use with students, educators should take care never to frame the Holocaust or the survivor experience only in terms of forgiveness. Several excerpts are available in the ODLE.

Zapruder, Alexandra. Salvaged Pages: Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust. Anthology of firsthand accounts

Educators should screen in advance anything shown to students to ensure appropriateness.

A Night at the Garden, directed by Marshall Curry, 2017. American documentary film; employs archival footage of 1939 American Nazi rally; appropriate for middle school; 7 minutes; view here.

Alma Rosé: A Tribute with the Ranana Symphonette Orchestra, 2016. Israeli television news story about Gustav Mahler’s niece, who served as Kapo for the women’s orchestra in Auschwitz, where she was killed; music teachers may find this of interest; 3 minutes; view here.

Birthplace, directed by Pawel Lozinski, 1992. Subtitled Polish documentary film; features survivor who returns to Poland decades after the war to find out what happened to his father and baby brother; 47 minutes; view here.

Blessed is the Match, directed by Roberta Grossman, 2010. American documentary film; features the story of Hannah Senesh, who was part of a small team of Jews that parachuted into Yugoslavia on a mission to save Hungary’s endangered Jews; she was captured and executed, but her poems are widely read; appropriate for middle school; 86 minutes

Bogdan’s Journey, directed by Michael Jaskulski, 2016. Partly subtitled Polish American documentary film; features a contemporary Catholic Pole who fights antisemitism through commemoration of the 1946 Kielce pogrom against Holocaust survivors; 90 minutes

Brundibar: How the Nazis Conned the World (60 Minutes story), 2007. American television news magazine story featuring the story behind the children’s opera, Brundibar, which was written and performed in Terezín; the Nazis filmed the performance along with other art to convince outsiders that Jewish children were being treated well; theater teachers may find this of interest; 13 minutes; view here; also view here

European Antisemitism from Its Origins to the Holocaust, USHMM, 2021. American documentary film; presents an overview on the growth of hatred and persecution of the Jewish people; 14 minutes; view here.

Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust, directed by Daniel Anker, 2004. American documentary film; 92 minutes; numerous clips may be found in the ODLE

Night and Fog, directed by Alain Resnais, 1956. Subtitled French documentary film; describes Nazi camps; 32 minutes

No Place on Earth, directed by Janet Tobias, 2013. American documentary film; survivors who hid in the world’s second-largest underground cavernous formation during the Holocaust return decades later to tell their story; the picture book, The Secret of Priest’s Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story, tells of the same family; appropriate for middle school; 83 minutes

One Survivor Remembers, directed by Kary Antholis, 1995. American documentary film; features interviews with Gerda Weissmann Klein, who survived concentration camps and a death march that are also described in the memoir, All But My Life; 40 minutes; opening images depict emaciated, naked corpses and should not be shown to middle school students; entire film may be found in the ODLE

Part I: Interview with Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth: Child Holocaust Survivor & Scholar, 2021. Interview conducted by Dr. J.E. Wolfson and Dr. David A. Patterson for 2021 Holocaust Remembrance Week in Texas. Interview filmed and edited by Christian Acevedo. Part I covers Zsuzsi's childhood in Hungary, hiding, and her rescuer. View here.

Part II: Interview with Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth: Child Holocaust Survivor & Scholar, 2021. Interview conducted by Dr. J.E. Wolfson and Dr. David A. Patterson for 2021 Holocaust Remembrance Week in Texas. Interview filmed and edited by Christian Acevedo. Part II covers scholarship on poet/Holocaust victim Miklós Radnóti and what Holocaust education should look like. View here.

Sister Rose’s Passion, directed by Oren Jacoby, 2004. American documentary film; features interviews with Sister Rose Thering, who fought antisemitism and influenced the Vatican’s Nostra aetate proclamation; educators in Catholic schools may find this of particular interest; 39 minutes

The Courage to Care, directed by Robert Gardner, 1985. American documentary film; features interviews with rescuers and rescued; 29 minutes; view here.

The Path to Nazi Genocide, USHMM, 2014. American documentary film; features the rise of Nazism and Hitler, as well as its impact on Jews; 39 minutes; view here.

Watchers of the Sky, directed by Edet Belzberg, 2014. American documentary film; features interviews with numerous people and especially highlights the story of Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term, genocide; other genocides are featured; narrated by Samantha Power, whose lengthy book, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, received the Pulitzer Prize; Power later served as US Ambassador to the UN; numerous clips may be found in the ODLE; 120 minutes

Educators are also encouraged to locate online survivor testimonies, especially through the multiple museum websites and USC Shoah Foundation links in the "RECOMMENDED Resources, Lesson Plans, and Links" tab above.