|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
| The Center of Jewish Education in Ukraine
|
The structure of the Web-site shall be formed and placed in Internet, to obtain comments from users. The Web-site shall constantly expand and develop, be advertised both in and outside Ukraine, in the countries having interests with regard to Jewish education
Goals and objectives of project
Anybody involved in Ukrainian Jewish Family Education experiences the following problems:
The art in Jewish family
The project proposes the conducting of selective, educational, and educational-methodical seminars for teachers of history of non-Jewish (Ukrainian) middle educational institutions (Ukrainian schools, gymnasiums, lycees) on the history of the Holocaust (the tragic fate of the Jews of Europe during the period of the Second World War 1939-1945) and the methods of teaching this subject in schools in Ukraine. The suggested seminars are intended for history teachers of Ukrainian schools, who are interested in the given problem, teach a course on modern (latest) history in their academic institutions, and in the future, after their training in the seminars, will teach a course in the history of the Holocaust in their schools.
The actuality of the project and its description.
The Nazi genocide of European Jewry during the years of the Second World War, the death of 6 million Jews, the reasons and sources of this phenomenon, the stages of total extermination, the consequences of the Catastrophe for the Jewish people, the reactions to this event of European countries and the whole world society in general - today, all of these issues are of concern not only to Jews but also to the governments of different peoples and ethnic groups. In spite of the fact that the Catastrophe of European Jewry is an event which occurred more than half a century ago, the lessons of this tragedy remain actual even today. The causes which made the Holocaust possible - totalitarianism, racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, intolerant attitudes to other peoples, to their history and culture - unfortunately have a place in the contemporary world. If we disregard the lessons of the Holocaust and do not oppose revisionist currents to review and deny the Holocaust, then in such a case we risk the possible repetition of the tragedy and in the place of Jews may appear any other people.
As such, the meaning of this subject in school history courses is difficult to over-estimate. As is well known, beginning in the 1970s, the history of the Holocaust began to be taught in educational institutions of all types (elementary schools, gymnasiums, colleges, universities) in Israel, the U.S., and the majority of countries of Western Europe. In the past years, this problem has been raised and actively discussed in the post-communist countries of Eastern Europe, which have entered onto the democratic path of development. The Council of Europe actively participates in the elaboration of projects on the teaching of the History of the Shoah (Catastrophe) in these countries. Representatives of these authoritative international organisations, which work on questions of education, consider the teaching of this subject one of the most important paths to democratic, general humanitarian values and tolerance in the relations between peoples.
The Council of Europe recently conducted a series of academic seminars and symposiums (Belgium, France, Poland) on the problems of teaching the history of the Holocaust in the academic institutions of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. A few representatives of Ukraine were present at one of the seminars (Poland, September 1996). In many countries of this region of Europe (which experts value as "countries shifting towards democracy") , the history of the Shoah is already taught in universities and schools as a separate course as well as within the framework of courses of modern (latest) history (Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Belarus, Hungary). In our opinion, at the present day in sovereign Ukraine, all possibilities exist for the study and teaching of the history of the Holocaust in the sphere of education. Already much has been said about the actuality of this subject, but in addition to this, it must be mentioned that for Ukraine, the given problem is still actual, precisely because it was on Ukrainian territory that the Nazis began their total extermination of the Jews of Europe. The memory of this - for the sake of not repeating the same, for the sake of respect and patience for other peoples - must be passed on to the young generation. And for the progressive development of life, this subject must be studied not only by Jewish children but also by Ukrainian children. It is an indispensable condition of future, tolerant mutual relations between peoples.
Today, in Ukrainian schools of all types, there exists a real possibility of studying the history of the Holocaust both in a course of world history and in a course of the history of Ukraine. Developing out of a program of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, this subject can be studied in the 10th grade during the study of the history of the Second World War. In the course of the history of Ukraine and in the course of world history (modern history), the study of the history of the Second World War is given 18 hours (altogether). Out of these 18 hours, no less than 4 hours are devoted to the study of the Nazi Occupation Regime, "the new order", and such concepts and names as "Babii Yar", "Treblinka", "the extermination of the Jews of Europe" emerge in these themes. In the textbook on the history of Ukraine for the 10th grade --The Modern History of Ukraine (1918-1945), Kiev, 1985, by F. Turchenko -- and in the textbook on world history - World History Chapter 1 (1900-1945), by T. Ladichenko and I. Kolyada - the material on the given problem is either included in fragments (F. Turchenko) or not included at all (T. Ladichenko). As such, the study of history in these lessons does not tell children practically anything about the history of the Holocaust in general nor about the specific fate of Ukrainian Jewry during the years of the war. For this, the kind plan of seminars suggested in the given project is necessary and actual. In addition, after such seminars, the teachers of history of Ukrainian schools will receive the possibility of creating in their own schools special courses on the history of the Holocaust and teaching them in the form of electives to the older classes (10th-11th grade).
The order of carrying out the project:
The project is intended for 2 years and will consist of three selective and three educational seminars and two foreign trips, whose goal will be thematic excursions to sites of mass murder of European Jewry during the years of the Second World War and the visiting of world academic research centers on the study of the Holocaust. This, in our opinion, will make possible an increase not only in the knowledge level of the participants in the seminar; it will give the participants of the seminar a possibility to feel on an emotional level the whole significance and tragedy of the Holocaust.
Project: Jewish Family Resource Center
It is a little known fact that approximately two million Jews live in the former Soviet Union, constituting the third largest Jewish population in the world. After decades of systematic suppression of Judaism and the brutal persecution of teachers of Hebrew and Jewish culture under communism, there is now an extraordinary opportunity to build community institutions that will form the basis of a flourishing Jewish culture in the former Soviet Union. Because of the vacuum created by generations of Communist suppression, help for this cultural renaissance must come from abroad.
With that help, the Jewish cultural renewal has enthusiastically begun. Young children are enrolled in Jewish weekend and day schools in increasing numbers. Older and retired people revive long suppressed Jewish memories at adult programs and in newly opened synagogues. But for the adults in between, the vacuum still exists. They have no warm Jewish memories to revive - no historic sense of connection to Am Yisroel - no extra time beyond work and family to devote exclusively to Jewish learning. What they do have is a deep hunger for an understanding of and connection to their Jewish roots. Because BACJRR is a strong and recognised Jewish presence in the former Soviet Union, we are often asked for cultural materials to be used by families in the home. BACJRR has developed the concept of the Jewish Family Resource Center program to meet that expressed hunger for guidance in rebuilding Jewish community across generational lines.
MEETING THE NEED - BUILDING JEWISH COMMUNAL LIFE IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION
In the planning stage is a Chavurah program, offering a range of Jewish family experiences, for learning about and celebrating Jewish holidays, and for family camps for all ages. Dedicated leaders and educators have been identified and are eager to begin building the program. We seek to provide them with the "building blocks" -- educational materials and the training to use them. We are not starting "from scratch." Excellent programs and written materials already exist, in English and some already translated into Russian. Many are available to be shared, given the appropriate modern equipment to acquire them, guidance in using them, and a welcoming gathering place where they can be implemented.
Thus, for instance, individuals or families wishing to celebrate Passover could come to the Center for everything from Haggadot to recipes. Those wishing to build a sukkah could find designs and suggestions. Jewish teachers and counselors could use the Family Resource Center to find appropriate crafts for holidays, or ideas for outings for Tu Bishvat or Lag Ba Omer. Those wishing to learn Jewish music Hebrew, Yiddish, synagogue tunes, table songs for the Sabbath and holidays would have access to materials in libraries and, especially, through the internet. The Centers could themselves be loci for events, such as Jewish singing and reading groups, educational classes; film and arts exhibits and community discussions in short, for a broad range of religious and cultural family activities and for self-directed learning.
Goal Already Achieved
The first Resource Center has found a home and is taking shape under the auspices of the Kiev Center for Jewish Education. In December, 1997, the Resource Center hired its first employee who serves as the communications liaison. Through a partnership with the San Francisco Bureau of Jewish Education, the Kiev Center has begun to integrate technology into their programs, connecting the Center with the Jewish world through the Jewish Web Week's program of Jewish women's stories. Guided by their new communications liaison, this enthusiastic corps of Jewish women will build and shape the growth of the Women's Mentoring Program, connecting woman - to -woman, across borders and across generations, via the internet.
Long-Term Goal
The Bay Area Council visualises a network of Jewish Family Resource Centers in the former Soviet Union (FSU), to serve the Judaic needs of this significant population in ways different from those of any other organisation. The Bay Area Council proposed Resource Centers will be precisely that places where Jews can come for Jewish books, audio and visual CDs, and CD Roms, for internet connection to Judaic specialists anywhere in the world, as well as personal connection to trained, on-site Jewish educators. Isolated in a world where access to construction paper and magic markers is a problem, we propose to break that isolation and make available the tools of the modern world through well equipped Resource Centers.
Back to homepage