By Mary Jane Farrish
It was my deep honour to have joined nine colleagues from southern Ontario on a Holocaust Education in Germany study trip in Berlin during the first week of July. I am indebted to Mina Cohn and CHES for their support as it was due to Mina’s actions that this learning opportunity and journey became a reality for me.
The Goethe-Institut welcomed us warmly to Germany as guests of the federal government and curated a program designed to achieve and stimulate intellectual engagement and discourse focused on teaching Holocaust Education and remembrance culture and democracy education within the context of the Germany national strategy to combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life.
The three guides assigned to support our group were exceptional and joined us as true learning partners, often extending and provoking conversations by providing valuable contextual information and perspectives.
This experience deepened my understanding of the layers and complexities of teaching Holocaust Education. I was in constant contemplation about how to design and develop learning aligned with the overall desired outcomes consistent with CHES’ mandate and direction. This learning must serve the greatest good for our students (and staff) and equip them to lead and live as upholders of social justice, to promote Jewish pride and dignity, and to ensure safety and value of Jewish identities.
Our group consisted of senior educational leaders from Toronto (public and Catholic), Durham, York, and Ottawa school districts as well as Assistant Deputy Minister Yael Ginsler from the Ontario Ministry of Education and Liberation75 founder Marilyn Sinclair.
Highlights of the programme included presentations, visits, and discussions with leaders in this nation-wide work, include:
- Visit with dignitaries at the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community and the Federal Foreign Office
- Visit with students, educators, and parent council chair at Werner-von-Siemens-Gymnasium Grammar School
- Visit with Senate/Ministry of Education senior officials and leaders in Berlin and in Brandenburg State
- Visit with members of the German Bundestag
- Guided programs at Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Jewish Museum Berlin, Stiftung Neue Synagogue Berlin, and the House of the Wannsee Conference memorial and educational site
- Visits with executives at the Central Council of Jews of Germany and to the Anne Frank Centre, Berlin
The impact of this learning experience continues to be profound upon my return to the Ontario public education context as I am committed to lead the implementation of Holocaust education with precision, care and dignity into the grade 6 curriculum and expand and extend this learning along the continuum of k-12 learning experiences for all students.
I am deeply grateful to Mina for making this trip of a lifetime (professionally and personally) happen for me and to the members of the group. This network of educational professionals will serve as sources of expertise and wisdom for me. We share a collective investment in elevating the strength, joy, resilience, beauty, and brilliance of Jewish identities, histories, and contemporary realities as we lead the learnings of Holocaust Education.
Mary Jane Farrish is the OCDSB Superintendent of Instruction.
