October 26, 2021

Over the past two weeks, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies' (FSWC) education department has been busy with:

3 Holocaust survivor presenters
10 school boards reached
15 programs presented
600+ students reached

Survivor Testimony Impacts Students  
FSWC's Equity and Diversity workshops are in full swing, reaching more than 600 students over the last two weeks. In addition to the requests for individual workshops, survivor testimony is at the top of the request list. Teachers routinely share with us the impact of the survivors on their students. Sessions these past two weeks have included Holocaust survivors Leonard Vis and Vera Schiff.

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Combating Online Hate in Schools
Emily Thompson, Associate Director of Research with the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, presented a powerful program to Canadian teachers last week as part of FSWC's fall professional development series. Participants were shocked at the insidious ways in which hate is being spread to youth today. Following an in-depth look at realities of hate in the online space, Emily walked educators through steps to address hate in the virtual space.

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Antisemitism Training with YRDSB
FSWC's education department is working with the Network of Educators Supporting Jewish Learners (NESJL) and York Region District School Board (YRDSB) to present a series of programs about antisemitism to all members of the school board.  Our first session was with a group of YRDSB teachers last week where we investigated antisemitic tropes from antiquity to today, and discussed ways in which to address antisemitism in educational settings.