Preface
How does one
teach students about the Holocaust? With questions. One must begin with
questions. What haunts those who undertake this educational task is the feeling
that one ends with questions, too. Any answers seem inadequate to most of those
questions, incomplete to the subject. Such feelings continue to haunt survivors,
people who interview survivors, writers and historians who confront the subject.
Almost all Holocaust curricula have ignored this fundamental difficulty of
language to communicate this particular history. They have been too moralistic
or too shocking, too uninformed or too sentimental, too certain or too
missionary. They have either artificially freed themselves of the ghosts or
become possessed by them.
Beginning with an
awareness of such difficulties, the authors of this project also were aware of
the insurmountable obstacle they inherited: speaking about the
unspeakable—teaching about the unteachable. The authors also inherited a dilemma
of silence. Should one remain silent? Or should one speak inadequately?
Like so many
survivors who began to break their silence after 1981, the authors have
proceeded with deep reservations, concerned that what they said could not
possibly convey the reality. As one survivor noted, “there is not enough paper
and not enough ink to write what one minute was like during the Holocaust.” The
subject contains the most profound consequences—consequences that must be
confronted and examined carefully and thoughtfully.
As one of the
authors, I can offer a partial rationale for deciding to try to improve the
quality of Holocaust education. After the most obvious reasons, one overrides
all the others. I worry. I worry about my children and their children; I worry
about the children of my friends and the children I do not know. I worry about
Jewish children and non-Jewish children. It was too late for parents of Jewish
children to worry in 1943. What could they have known about the plans for
genocide?
Today we know
what they could not have known. It is not too late to worry now—prevention may
be a product of education. The forces of Western civilization that evolved into
the Holocaust have not disappeared—they have continued in the mainstream of our
own traditions: the excesses of objectivity, efficiency, bureaucracy, science,
progress and civilization itself. We have avoided abstractions in the curriculum
because the issues are not abstract—they are thousands of concrete examples of
people engaged in routinized adaptation to murder. We have offered some of those
examples.
And from those
specifics, there are no analogies to be drawn, no “lessons” about the nature of
man. There is the history, with its coldness and its calculating perpetrators,
and there is the loss. We would like our children to know about those so they
can avoid being victims and avoid being perpetrators.
Accepting the
challenges of writing about the Holocaust was a bit less intimidating because
Betty Rotberg Ellias understood the pitfalls and knew how to avoid them, and
David Harris seemed unerring in his historical and ethical perspectives. Both
brought admirable professionalism to the work. That professionalism was tempered
by sensitivity to the experiences of the victims. Remarkably, all those who
worked on the project had that combination of sensitivity and professionalism.
They are recognized in the acknowledgements. One of them, however, stands out
because of his faith and determination and his initiative to produce a
high-caliber educational program. Dr. Sidney A. Lutz, president of the Center
for the Study of the Child, must indeed worry about the children of the world.
He has shown his dedication and love to them by his generosity in this project.
This curriculum
is an 18-lesson unit. The number 18 in Hebrew is the word chai. It means “life.”
Studying about the Holocaust ought to take a lifetime; more importantly,
studying about the Holocaust ought to be devoted to the preservation and
enhancement of life.
Sidney M. Bolkosky
August 18, 1987
This curriculum
grew from humble beginnings in the Holocaust Sub-Committee of the Jewish
Community Council (JCC) of Metropolitan Detroit. It was the brain-child of Zelda
Robinson, chairperson of the sub-committee. Stefanie Gurwitz, who has since
moved to Baltimore, Maryland, worked tirelessly as a coordinator for the JCC.
Miriam Schey later assumed the responsibility; the remainder of the
sub-committee was consistently supportive and helpful.
Oakland Schools
offered to pilot a curriculum on the Holocaust. Dr. Guy Blackburn served as
advisor to the original project. Diane Fletcher, secretary of the Oakland
Schools Department of Curriculum and Instruction, proved to be not only
efficient but aware of and sensitive to the issues involved. John Bancroft, Greg
Clevenger, Randal DePollo, Harry Jubas and William Lynch piloted the first draft
of the curriculum in their high school classes in 1985.
The Center for
the Study of the Child had available the expertise of Lutz Associates
professionals: Dr. Peter Nagourney was unstinting in his intelligent and sharp
direction; Mary McBride, the account executive for the project, seemed to intuit
the necessary character and tone; Zenon Tomyn, assisted by Sheryl Hildebrand and
Lisa Ritter, produced exceptionally moving graphics; Jane Racey, Andrew Brown
and Patricia Denstaedt brought the best of editorial skills to the text; and
Deborah Van Hoewyk was indispensable, as were Karen Gilbert, Cynthia Eggleton,
Jung-No Lee, Mary Ginka and everyone else at Lutz who contributed to this
project.
After the
graphics were thoughtfully and painstakingly designed, Howard Kloc of Klocworks
Photography continued the rare blend of professionalism and sensitivity.
The people at the
television studio on the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus donated hundreds
of hours videotaping photographs and interviews with Holocaust survivors for the
videotape that accompanies this curriculum. The director of the studio,
Christopher Laxton, and the engineer, Greg Taylor, were unfailing in their
careful production of the tapes. Virginia Sayles, Director of Media, gave her
staff the freedom to assist in the project.
Sarah Bell and
the Midrasha Library were invaluable resources.
The JCC and the
Center for the Study of the Child provided an advisory committee. The members of
that committee include: Harry M. Eisenberg, Dr. David Harris, Dr. Peter Naourney,
Zelda Robinson and Dr. Peter Stine.
The Holocaust
Memorial Center of Greater Detroit allowed us access to its photographs and
artifacts and permitted us to use its conference room and museum for teacher
education workshops.
Our thanks go to:
Sheldon Lutz, who took a good idea and inspired those in the proper places to
implement it; Marsha Kozlowski and Susan Bloetscher of Franklin J. Ellias &
Associates, Ltd.; Shirley Kimbrough of the JCC; Dr. Beverly Geltner for her
helpful comments; Leo Marx, who allowed us to use his astounding family
collection of papers and photographs, which have been loaned to the University
of Michigan-Dearborn; Eric Leighton for the use of his family photographs;
Marton Adler for his photographs and recounting; Mrs. Fay Gutman Rotberg for the
use of her family’s only remaining pre-war portrait; Joanne Rudolf of the Yale
Video Archives; Alex Ehrmann for his warmth, support and personal history;
Nathan Harris and Richard Brown for their artifacts and photographs; Franka
Charlupski, Hilma Geffen, Dr. Leo Goldenberger, Ruth Kent, Sarah Kupfer, Leo
Liffman, Bernie Offen, Abe Pasternak, Agi Rubin, Dr. Emanuel Tanay, Ruth Webber
and Shari Weiss for speaking and allowing us to listen; Erna Gorman for her
courage and generosity; Harvey Grace for the generous donation of studio time;
Saul Wineman for his voice; Laurie Bolkosky for her patience; Miriam and Gabriel
Bolkosky for their advice and balance; Franklin J. Ellias for his unflagging
loyalty; The Detroit Free Press for the use of its photograph; WTVS, Channel 56
for its time; Selma Silverman for her dedication of education.
In a very real
sense, this curriculum belongs to Dr. Sidney A. Lutz. He nurtured it, funded it,
gave it new life and a new spirit. We hope our work reflects his high standards
and his devotion to a better future.
Finally, the
electronic edition of this curriculum would not be possible without the generous
financial support of the Holocaust Education Coalition of Detroit.