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Holocaust Survivors and Liberators

Lesson Plan

Echoes & Reflections is a leading provider of free Holocaust education resources and professional development for the middle and high school classroom. We help educators to teach about the Holocaust accurately and with confidence. Our goal is to enhance students' historical knowledge, critical thinking, and personal understanding of this history. GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening The purpose of this unit is to provide…

May 08, 2019

Liberation at 75: Teaching Strategies and Resources

Article

Old woman and children walking in Auschwitz-Birkenau

January 22, 2020 On January 27th, the anniversary of the allied liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, we commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day in honor of the victims of Nazi persecution. This annual observance provides an opportunity for teachers to focus on the pivotal role of liberators in defeating the Nazis at the culmination of World War II, and as some of the first to bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust. Here are some strategies and resources to guide you in…

January 22, 2020

Amazon Pulls Auschwitz Holiday Ornaments; Jewish Student Leader at McGill U. Threatened with Impeachment Over Israel Trip

Article

December 05, 2019 THE WEEK’S BIG 3 Online retail giant Amazon removed from its marketplace holiday ornaments, bottle openers and other products that displayed images from the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz. In related news, the International Skating Union (ISU) apologized after nominating a Russian skater, who donned Auschwitz-themed attire, for costume of the year. And in Montreal, McGill University’s student government was condemned after forcing one of its members to…

December 05, 2019

FBI: Hate Crime Murders Hit Record Level; Countering Brooklyn Attacks on Orthodox Jews; GWU Probes Anti-Semitic Snapchat Video

Article

November 15, 2019 THE WEEK’S BIG 3 Newly released data from the FBI shows that hate crime murders in 2018 reached an all-time high. Following a sharp increase in anti-Semitic attacks directed at the Orthodox community, ADL announced a doubling of funding for its flagship education program, No Place for Hate, in schools throughout the borough. And officials at George Washington University are investigating after an anti-Semitic video posted on Snapchat was circulated amongst the…

November 15, 2019

It's Adoption Awareness Month. How Can Teachers Be Respectful and Inclusive in the Classroom?

Article

November is National Adoption Awareness Month—an annual reminder that it is important for all of us to raise our awareness about adoption and adoptees. There are approximately 5 million adoptees living in the United States today. Ensuring that your classroom and school are inclusive and respectful of adoptees and their unique experiences is crucial. Words Matter: Positive Adoption Language (PAL) and Inclusivity Educators know that words matter. You understand the harm that is…

November 05, 2019

On-Screen Diversity: Why Visibility in Media Matters

Lesson Plan

GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School, Middle School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language Does Entertainment Represent Our Increasingly Diverse Society?In recent years, we have seen some progress made in terms of the diversity and representation of characters and actors we see in movies and on television. For example, over the last sixteen years, the percentage of Asian characters with speaking roles increased from 3.4% to 15.9%. However, there is still much…

October 15, 2019

Important Books to Explore Bullying and Ally Behavior

Tools and Strategies

While bullying is still a problem in schools, the intersection of bias and bullying can be particularly harmful. Identity-based bullying is when a person is targeted based on an essential part of their identity (e.g., race, immigration status, sexual orientation, religion, or gender identity). It is common in schools and not only impacts the targeted person but everyone else around them that shares their identity. Identity-based bullying can leave all students feeling unsafe and fearful that…

September 24, 2019

Let’s Bring Current Events to Life in the Classroom

Article

Friends Using Mobile Phone on Steps in High School

September 15, 2019 Many have labeled today's young people apathetic and obsessed with their phones — a group not interested in news or improving their communities. Another common assumption is that college students and young adults don't vote and aren’t civically engaged. However, a recent survey dispels these misconceptions. The myth of youth apathy Common Sense Media reveals in a 2019 survey that teens are interested in news. In fact, 78% of thirteen to seventeen year-olds…

September 15, 2019

Anti-Semitic Vandalism and Graffiti Pop Up Across the Country

Article

September 13, 2019 THE WEEK’S BIG 3 ADL is monitoring a spate of anti-Semitic vandalism and graffiti across the country over the past two weeks, including at a synagogue in Los Angeles, a high school in the Bay Area and a residence hall at the University of Nevada, Reno. Several Israeli students in Warsaw were allegedly assaulted by a group of men from Qatar, shouting “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza.” And in conjunction with the Aspen Institute, ADL announced a…

September 13, 2019

Anti-Semitic Show Does Not Belong on Egyptian State Television

Article

August 29, 2019 By David Andrew Weinberg | ADL's Washington Director for International Affairs Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told a visiting delegation earlier this year that he hopes to see a resurgence of Jewish life in Egypt. He reportedly even informed the group that if more Jews return, the government would pay to build more synagogues and other communal institutions. However, this positive message is being undermined by the continued broadcasting of a hateful,…

August 29, 2019

Witness for Peace

Article

August 28, 2019 Background Witness for Peace (WFP) is an anti-Semitic organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that primarily espouses anti-Israel content and anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish racism, power and influence and dual loyalties. WFP is affiliated with another anti-Semitic group, Deir Yassin Remembered. WFP’s leader and founder, Henry Herskovitz, is a Holocaust denier. WFP was founded in 2003 by Herskovitz, a former Beth Israel (Ann Arbor) congregant, to protest the…

August 28, 2019

Amplify Constitution Day, Amplify Student Voice

Article

by: Libby Otto By mid-September, you’re busy with school, work and fall activities. Constitution Day, on September 17, may slip past you without a thought. So why should this year be any different? Constitution Day is the anniversary of the day that the Founding Fathers signed the United States Constitution. As you reflect this year on how the current political climate and public policies impact millions of people, continue asking yourself: are you making a positive change to…

August 16, 2019

How to Talk to Young People About the El Paso Shooting (In English and en Español)

Article

Female Tutor Leading Discussion Group Amongst High School Pupils

In August 2019, at a time when parents and teachers should have been be thinking about children’s new notebooks and back-to-school jitters, they instead had to contemplate how to talk with their children about mass shootings and anti-immigrant bias. On Saturday, August 3, 2019 a gunman opened fire in a shopping center in El Paso, Texas—a city that prides itself as one of the safest in the U.S. Some families were there to do their back-to-school shopping at Walmart when tragedy…

August 05, 2019

Senior Pranks Are Fun Until They're Not: What to Do When Pranks are Biased and Offensive

Article

June 17, 2019 It’s that time of year when seniors play “pranks” as a final goodbye to their high school days. Intended to cause havoc, senior pranks may be planned for weeks or months leading up to graduation. These pranks are often harmless, fun and light-hearted and, in the best of cases, reflect a positive climate and school spirit. But some pranks have the opposite effect. They are offensive, harmful to individual students and negatively impact school climate. These…

June 17, 2019

This Week's Big Three in the News

Article

June 14, 2019 THE WEEK’S BIG 3 Organizers of the “DC Dyke March” attempted to implement a ban on Jewish Pride flags, claiming they too closely resemble the flag of Israel. In Detroit, a small group of neo-Nazis carrying weapons disrupted an LGBTQ Pride march by spewing homophobic, racist and anti-Semitic slurs at participants and pretending to defile an Israeli flag. A gay man in Atlanta was shot and killed in what police are classifying as a hate crime. Read on for…

June 14, 2019

Deir Yassin Remembered Protests NJ Fundraiser for Israeli Emergency Response Agency

Article

June 11, 2019 On Sunday, May 19th, Deir Yassin Remembered (DYR) led a protest outside a “Breakfast for Israel” fundraiser for Magen David Adom, the Israeli version of the Red Cross, at Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, New Jersey. About a dozen protestors from DYR – an organization whose leaders have called for the elimination of Israel, described Zionism as a “cancer” and claimed that Israel is a hub for pedophilia and organ trafficking – were joined…

June 11, 2019

Fighting Hate for Good: ADL 2019 National Leadership Summit (NLS)

Article

June 07, 2019 ADL volunteer leaders from across the country came together to lobby and advocate around countering hate. They learned from and were inspired by subject matter experts, Members of Congress, civil rights activists, journalists and authors during the keynote plenary speeches and panels. Everyone sitting in the Independence Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. on June 2nd received a sobering reminder of the power of partnership when it comes to healing after…

June 07, 2019

The Stonewall Uprising

Lesson Plan

GRADE LEVEL: High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, Language On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall uprising took place. It began in the early morning at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. As was typical during that time period, police officers entered the bar and arrested employees for selling alcohol without a liquor license, roughed up customers, cleared the bar and arrested customers for not wearing at least three articles of …

June 03, 2019

Slurs and Biased Language (in English and en español)

Tools and Strategies

Sign on an establishment reads: "N" Word Not Allowed Here - Joking or Not

Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Topic SummaryEvery day—from the schoolyard to the workplace—we hear biased, hurtful and offensive language, including slurs, epithets (defined below) and so-called “jokes.” We also see slurs written on walls, buildings, streets and in our social media feeds. Many people, especially those who have children in their lives, wonder what to do when they see and…

May 16, 2019

Empowering Educators to Discuss Hard Topics

Article

May 06, 2019 By Jinnie Spiegler | ADL Director of Curriculum and Training This year, ADL had the opportunity to present three separate sessions at SXSW EDU -- a component of the big annual South by Southwest conference that focuses on teaching and learning. ADL’s sessions covered (1) discussing and framing current events in the classroom through an anti-bias lens, (2) acting as and developing better allies, and (3) the role art plays in promoting social justice themes in the…

May 06, 2019