30 April 2018
Tomorrow, 1 May 2018, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, will sign a Joint Declaration of Intent with the German Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the State (Länder) of Brandenburg, Potsdam. The signing of this agreement highlights the already existing relationship with the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (also known as KMK) signed with Yad Vashem in 2013, with a view to fostering joint Holocaust education, research and commemoration. Yad Vashem's Director of Governmental and External Affairs Yossi Gevir will sign the declaration together with The Honorable Dr. Thomas Drescher, State Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg. Minister President (Governor) Dr. Dietmar Woidke will also be present at the signing of the agreement.
The Declaration provides the basis for ongoing educational activities between Yad Vashem and Brandenburg, including educator-training seminars at Yad Vashem. Yad Vashem has similar agreements with 13 other Länder, including NRW, Berlin, Bavaria and Saxony. This agreement also facilitates a dialogue between German and Israeli teachers about educational practices in Israel, participation in Yad Vashem training seminars, and more.
"Education is one of the main vehicles for infusing remembrance with meaning and inspiration," stated Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. "A major challenge today is to ensure that young people will know about the Holocaust, will find it significant, and will be able to process it appropriately. By formalizing our ties with Brandenburg and other German states, we hope to rise to these challenges."
At the end of this month, Yad Vashem will sign additional educational agreements with two other German states, Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz, which will mark the landmark achievement of educational agreements with almost all of the sixteen states across Germany.
All press who wish to attend this event must RSVP to media.relations@yadvashem.org.il and arrive at the Yad Vashem International School Room 303 at 12:45pm.
Following the signing, the Minister President will tour the Holocaust History Museum, participate in a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance and visit the Children's Memorial. Media interested in covering the visit to the Holocaust History Museum must RSVP to media.relations@yadvashem.org.il, and arrive at the Hall of Names with a valid GPO card, by 14:15.
For more information, please contact Marisa Fine in the Yad Vashem Communications Division.
