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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – Today, Salem State University’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies concludes its second annual summer institute on teaching the Holocaust in the classroom, furthering its efforts to advance Holocaust education with those leading classroom instruction throughout local school systems.
Titled New Perspectives on Teaching the Holocaust, the three-day institute ran from Tuesday, July 30 to Thursday, August 1 out of Marsh Hall on Salem State’s Harrington Campus.
The state’s framework for genocide education was passed and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in late 2021. The program has since continued to grow in influence as conflicts around the world have further led to an increase in interest in genocide education in the classroom.
“Holocaust and genocide education remains imperative as the world continues to witness acts of wartime atrocities, mass killings and genocides,” said Christopher Mauriello, director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Salem State. “Teaching students the complex historical and social contexts for these actions is the cornerstone of creating a curriculum that engages issues of racism, ethnic hatred and prejudice that are the root causes of human rights abuses and mass violence.”
Since the Genocide Education Act passed in 2021, the center has been hosting professional development workshops and learning communities with area educators. This is a sign that “many districts are making Holocaust and genocide education central and not peripheral in social studies and ELA middle and high school curricula,” Mauriello said.
“In addition to stand-alone senior electives, some districts are integrating Holocaust, comparative genocide, and human rights themes into the district curricula for all students,” Mauriello continued. “That is the intent of the new law, and districts are working hard to align with that goal. I believe that a new generation of students is interested in making a difference in the world and are rediscovering the powerful lessons that the Holocaust and genocide studies provides. This connects deeply with the teachers’ desire to keep curriculum and teaching relevant for their students.”
But at the same time, the conversations are a two-way street. As the center helps educators educate, teachers also provide feedback that helps direct future discussions around Holocaust and genocide education, according to Mauriello.
“We also listen to what our middle and high school educators have to say about challenges to implementation or other ways to accomplish goals,” Mauriello said. “We also ask and hear what directions or topics educators want to learn about or could advance their district goals. We use this feedback to develop our educational programs and even our lecture series and public events for the coming years.”
The sessions this week leaned on the experiences of Ukrainian Holocaust survivor Lusia Milch. Several sessions also featured Christina Chavarria, program coordinator for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
“The CHGS is dedicated to educating the campus and larger community about comparative genocide studies and human rights and creating a thoughtful, informed and respectful dialog about complex issues that people can legitimately disagree,” Mauriello concluded. “We believe that this type of peaceful dialog about complex issues is the fundamental principle for advancing liberal democracy.”
Among attendees this year was faculty from Salem Public Schools, where work is taking place in the city’s middle and high schools to prepare Holocaust and genocide studies curriculum.
“I wanted to participate in the summer institute because I am currently working on co-writing curriculum for a new elective course being offered at Salem High School called the Holocaust and Genocide Studies,” said Lori Marenda, a history teacher at Salem High. “Whether it be participating in their teacher workshops or attending their summer travel study programs, the center provides incredible educational opportunities for educators.”
The Genocide Education Act “has really helped us to focus not only on the history of the Holocaust but to also to promote a better understanding of human rights, the patterns of genocide, and the connections to history and what is happening today,” Marenda explained.
“We have middle and high school educators attending this summer institute wanting to change the way we teach the Holocaust in our middle and high schools,” Marenda said. “We use primary sources to help students navigate these complex historical topics and help students to process what and why they are learning about the Holocaust. We also make sure students understand the stages of genocide and what can they do to stop and prevent future genocides. To us as educators, it is all about educating our students and giving them the tools and knowledge to make a difference in the world.”