"Statistically, most students encounter antisemitism not in the role of perpetrators, nor as victims, but rather as passive witnesses to antisemitic behavior. What can one do in such situations? As a teacher? As a student? Why is it so important to react, and what reactions are recommended?"
Dr. Noa Mkyaton
Yad Vashem has recently developed a new educational kit on contemporary antisemitism to be used in Germany. Entitled "Antisemitismus? Gibt’s hier nicht. Oder etwa doch?" ("Antisemitism? Doesn´t Exist Here. Or Does It?"), the kit offers a thorough guideline for teachers to critically engage their students with the issue of antisemitism based on the newest standards of pedagogy in the field. A booklet provides teachers with background information on the many forms of antisemitism over the ages, and as well as several tools to engage students with the topic in the classroom. The material carefully avoids visualizations, since educators in Germany are aware of the reproduction of antisemitic tropes in the physical and digital worlds, focusing instead on Jewish perspectives of antisemitism.
"Contemporary antisemitism is still mostly dealt with as a reaction to certain antisemitic events that occurred at a specific school," says Dr. Noa Mkayton, Director of the Overseas Education and Training Department at Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies. "Teachers need help in tackling this challenge. The new material we have developed allows them to introduce this topic in their daily work."
At the center of the educational kit are 13 cards with different cases of contemporary antisemitism, taken from real-life incidents as told by Jewish people who experienced them.
After reading the cards, the teacher encourages students to discuss the cases, and reflect on their perceptions of them as well as on the impact antisemitism had on the people involved in the incidents. In this way, the learners are made aware of the hurtful and devastating effect of antisemitism in the everyday life of those being targeted.
Finally, students are helped to develop an awareness of their own options for action when encountering antisemitism, both in the public sphere and on an interpersonal level.
"We hope this material will be a constructive tool for teachers in Germany, who are struggling to deal with antisemitism in their own environment," concludes Dr. Mkayton. "
We are planning to increase the number of training seminars focusing on this topic, in order to ensure that German students become more sympathetic with the victims of this hate crime, and are armed to deal with such incidents in an appropriate and effective manner."
"Antisemitismus? Gibt’s hier nicht. Oder etwa doch?" was developed in cooperation with the Competence Center for Prevention and Empowerment, which operates under the auspices of the Central Welfare Office of Jews in Germany (ZWST).
The author is Educational Coordinator at the German-speaking Countries Desk in the Overseas Education and Training Department, International School for Holocaust Studies.
This article originally appeared in the "Yad Vashem Jerusalem Magazine," volume 97.
