"Three Weeks" Conferences for Ultra-Orthodox Educators

05 July 2015

The Annual Lecture for Haredi Teachers in Memory of Samuel and Edward Cohen (USA) on the moment of liberation was given by Yad Vashem Council Chairman and Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yafo Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, who was freed as a young boy from Buchenwald

Ultra-Orthodox teachers listen to lectures on the return to Jewish life after liberation

Educators peruse the written material provided to enhance knowledge about the Shoah as well as pedagogical skills for the classroom

Participants tour the Yad Vashem Campus

Touring the Holocaust History Museum

Director of Teacher Training at the International School for Holocaust Studies Sarit Hoch-Markowitz addresses present and future female educators in the Ultra-Orthodox school system

Dvora Berger, a Holocaust survivor from Lodz, Poland, speaks about her wartime experiences to conference participants

"If until now, we knew we were a holy mission, now I feel it more strongly."

This response was one of many received by Yad Vashem following the conferences held for Ultra-orthodox educators during the Three Weeks, the traditional period of mourning over the destroyed Temples in Jerusalem. In total, some 1150 educators participated in the three conferences - for female teachers, male educators and seminary students - all of which centered on the theme of the return to Jewish life after the end of WWII.

Participants heard a range of lectures about liberation and the DP camps, including the revival of Jewish life, halachic issues such as weddings and agunot (married women whose husbands' fates remained unknown), returning hidden children to Jewish homes and rabbis serving in the liberating forces. They also participated in a number of workshops designed to enrich their understanding of the events and their teaching skills. toured the Yad Vashem campus, and heard testimonies from Holocaust survivors. The seminary students participated in a special program in the Valley of the Communities, which included musical interludes played by their fellow teachers-in-training, reflecting the music of the region and era. "The conference gave us more background, knowledge and tools to pass on to our students," wrote one participant at the end of the conference. "This was an important event and your work is admirable," wrote another. "We must continue to nourish the commandment 'zechor yemot olam (remember the times gone by).' Thank you for all your efforts towards this vital goal."

For more about the "Three Weeks" conferences, see the upcoming edition of Yad Vashem Jerusalem Magazine.