REPORT
ON THE 25TH SEMINAR FOR TEACHERS ON
“TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST IN GREECE”,
ORGANISED BY THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF GREECE
ATHENS, 28 FEBRUARY – 1 MARCH 2019
INTRODUCTION
The Jewish Museum has already organised and conducted, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, 24 seminars for primary- and secondary-school teachers on the theme of “Teaching the Holocaust in Greece”. Ten of these seminars were held in Athens (2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, 2018) and three in Thessaloniki (2005, 2014, 2015). In 2012 and from 2014 to 2016, seminars were also held in Ioannina, Volos, Zakynthos, Patras, Larissa, Karpenisi, Distomo, Drama and Chania where we focused on the local dimensions of the Holocaust. The extension of the seminars beyond Athens equips educators with educational/historical material and museum educational know-how. At the same time, the concerns and questions of educators from across Greece also provides the JMG with valuable feedback on its work. This seminar in Athens, mostly on an annual basis, provided an opportunity to renew the programme, with the creation of new workshops as well as the invitation of distinguished lecturers from abroad to participate.
GENERAL FRAMEWORK
The 25th seminar took place in Athens on 28 February –1 March 2019, at the Ionic Centre (11 Lysiou St, Plaka), was under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs and was kindly funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. In this particular seminar participated for the first time three international institutes, the Fondation pour la Memoire de la Shoah (Paris), the Yad Vashem (Jerusalem) and the International Tracing Service (Βad Arolsen, German). In addition, seven educators from Cyprus participated at this seminar for the first time, accepting JMG’s invitation.
CONCLUSIONS
Out of the 79 questionnaires that were completed by attendees, it is obvious that the teachers participated in the two-day seminar responded with similar enthusiasm and agreed that this seminar should be proposed to other educators and be attended as well. Furthermore, the comments and the suggestions made prove the educators’ will to contribute with the best possible way to the improvement of programs like this.
