Continuity Lines of Antisemitism

Core features of the practice


  • Organisation:

    Institution name: Memorial and Educational Site House of the Wannsee Conference
    Institution URL: https://ghwk.de/
  • Format:

    Seminar, Workshop
  • Target population:

    Young people, Legal professionals, Other
  • Cost (per practice):

    Not applicable
  • Setting:

    Your institution
  • Themes:

    Remembrance education and/or history education, Antisemitism, Critical thinking
  • Core activities:

    Image analysis, Textual analysis, Other

Additional information about the practice


    Target population

  • Number of participants:

    Not applicable
  • Age of target population:

    16-18
  • Additional specifics:

    Other:, general public starting from 16 years old.

    • Components of the practice

  • Topics and objectives:

    The aspects dealt in this seminar are different forms of Antisemitism: religious Antisemitism, political and racist Antisemitism and the consequences of National-Socialism, secondary Antisemitism (Antisemitism because of Auschwitz), Antisemitism related to Israel. During the seminar, participants also deal with the people affected by the phenomenon and suggest ways to combat it and possible action in daily situations. The seminar is composed of different modules, that can be arranged in different ways. Participants reflect of their own anti-Jewish prejudices.
  • Materials used:

    Written or other published material, Audiovisual material, mind barometer; interactive timeline of events.
  • Material produced:

    Not applicable
  • Sequence of activities - methodology:

    After a mind barometer to different hypotheses - participants position themselves ("I agree"/ "I disagree“), a discussion is held on the ones that split the group the most. The activity enables participants and educators reflect of their own anti-Jewish prejudices. An analysis of incidents – all real ones collected by our colleagues - is followed, and participants have to decide whether they are considered antisemitic or not and discuss treatment strategies. In the Memorial, this unit is followed by a tour to the permanent exhibition. Then the participants work in small groups based on primary sources. They can choose from a variety of topics: religious Antisemitism, political and racial Antisemitism, Antisemitism as the basis for neo-Nazi ideology, Antisemitism because of Auschwitz, Antisemitism and sport and Antisemitism and the middle east conflict. The sources include: statements by politicians, newspaper clips, youtube videos, , academic excerpts, caricatures, letters to the Jewish community, and Antisemitic postcards sent to the Memorial. Each group receives a different task for a presentation in the plenary.
  • Length of activity:

    5 to 8 hours
  • Is the activity digital?:

    No

    • Accessibility and replicability

  • Language(s) in which activity can be delivered:

    Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Other
  • Is specialist knowledge or professional training required?:

    Yes
  • If yes, which type?:

    Remembrance, history, or museum education

Qualitative Details


  • Has this practice been evaluated?

    Yes
    • How many times?:

    Yes
  • By whom?:

    Participants
  • By what means?:

    Informal verbal feedback, demand: the seminar was performed over 20 times in the last 3 years.
  • Core content knowledge and transferable skills:

    primary source literacy, critical analysis of sources. On the level of changed values and positions it is difficult to say and we do not have empirical data.
  • Indicators of success:

    We see this seminar as good practice because it unfolds Antisemitisms in its very complex and specific characteristics. Sketching and working on a very long period of time allows participants to recognise the historical roots of the phenomena and to see how they persist today. Also, it doesn't emotionalise the phenomena or the discussion about it, but gives solid arguments supported by facts, which have an empowering effect.
  • Educational coordinator contact details:

    Name: Aya Zarfati
    Email address: zarfati@ghwk.de

Scalability

The RETHINK project is concerned with bridging formal and informal education. This section explores the factors that make a practice adaptable.


  • Key factors for successful implementation:

    Subject expertise of presenter/instructor
  • Main challenges to teachers adapting this practice for their students:

    We see two: the first is having an expert on the topic conducting the seminar. One that is not just familiar with the discourses on Antisemitism in Germany/Europe, but also with the conflict in the middle east. The second one is the openness - not just of participants, but also of the teachers bringing the groups.
  • Availability of guidance/training/replication materials (and in what language/format currently):

    we could offer a training workshop. The replication of some materials (in English and German) might be possible.
  • Other comments or details:

    none.