The International School for Holocaust Studies
Online Courses
Yad Vashem's Online Courses utilize materials from our extensive archives and resources, and the latest in Holocaust research and pedagogy. They provide a unique opportunity to broaden your knowledge on the subject, with the flexibility offered by online study. The entire course is conducted online, including submission of assignments, grading, and evaluation. Each course includes 12-13 lessons (except where noted; Gmul courses for Israeli teachers all run to 13 lessons), with appropriate reading material and assignments. Participants submit a brief assignment for each lesson.
Registration for all courses is open at any time (with the exception of gmul courses, which run one at a time). Once approved onto the course system, participation remains open for a period of 6 months, after which grading and certification eligibility expires. We recommend reading the material and submitting the assignments at a rate of one lesson or more every two weeks. For additional details see our FAQ page.
The International School for Holocaust Studies regularly updates the courses with the latest research findings, and new courses are periodically offered. To receive updates on new courses on offer, join our e-Newsletter for Educators mailing list.
Israeli teachers: Courses recognized for Israeli professional development credit (gmul hishtalmut) hours are offered periodically, in special format, alongside the general-audience courses listed here. The separate Gmul courses have specific start and end dates and slightly different procedure - see below for relevant gmul course dates and details.
Registration fee is $100 per course. Returning students are eligible for a 20% discount when purchasing their second course, and a 25% discount when purchasing their third, and any additional, courses. Those purchasing five or more of our courses at once receive the 25% discount on all the course registration fees. Gmul courses are not eligible for discounts; however, the registration fee for Irgun Hamorim members are partially subsidized, see below (when applicable) and FAQ page for further details.
Select courses are now academically accredited by Seton Hill University. Registration and approval for this special program is conducted via SHU. If you're interested, contact Connie Beckel, Associate Registrar at SHU, prior to purchasing any of the relevant courses. Please note accreditation cannot be granted retroactively.
Online Course: Holocaust Education for Elementary and Middle School
This new pedagogical course focuses on the pedagogical philosophy for teaching the Holocaust, developed at the International School for Holocaust Studies. After familiarizing the participants with the core concepts, we present methods of implementation for the elementary/middle school ages (ages 7 through 14) using books and teaching aids created at the International School. Teachers who have completed the course will learn new approaches for teaching the Holocaust to younger students.
The course begins May 27th, 2013, and ends September 16th, 2013, and is available for audiences worldwide. The course consists of 7 lessons and assignments submitted every other week. Graduates will receive a certificate from Yad Vashem for completion of 30 hours. Consult your academic institution for accreditation possibilities. Course opening subject to minimum enrollment. Enrollment fee is $50.
Israeli teachers: An English-language course on this topic begins May 27th, 2013, running through September 2013 (this, alongside the version of the course for all other audiences, available throughout the year). Registration will remain open through June 17th. Course is 7 lessons, graduates are eligible for 30 professional development credit (gmul hishtalmut) hours and grade. For details, see our FAQ page or click below for further inquiries. This course include a mandatory day-length seminars at Yad Vashem. Course fee is 200 NIS. (Irgun Hamorim members: Before ordering, please contact us through the "further inquiries" link below, to receive a subsidized rate.)
- Syllabus
- Course website
- For further inquiries
- Registration for non-Israeli participants (secure website)
- Registration for Israeli teachers
Online Course: Prewar Jewish Life
"At the Edge of the Abyss: The Holocaust of European Jewry”
It is necessary to learn about what was lost in the Holocaust in order to fully understand its implications. This course examines the vibrant mosaic of Jewish life throughout Europe leading up to the Second World War. Covering representative communities from eastern and western Europe, we focus on central trends within early 20th century Jewry – internal politics, representation vis-a-vis the local authorities, dilemmas of assimilation, the rise of modern antisemitism, Zionism, and more.
Online Course: Germany 1918-1943
"At the Edge of the Abyss: The Holocaust of European Jewry”
This course covers German Jewry in the post-war and Nazi period, and includes the rise of the National Socialist Party, the establishment of the totalitarian state, anti-Jewish policies, and responses of German Jewry in the face of racial persecution. Throughout, we view reactions from within the Jewish community through to the destruction of German Jewry in 1943.
Online Course: Life in the Ghettos
"At the Edge of the Abyss: The Holocaust of European Jewry”
This course explores the evolution of the ghettos, their function, and their role within the "Final Solution". A special emphasis is placed on daily life inside the ghettos – the day-to-day struggles, dilemmas, and acts of resistance in the face of diminishing living space and means.
Israeli teachers: An English-language course on this topic begins May 27th, 2013, running through September 2013 (this, alongside the version of the course for all other audiences, available throughout the year). Registration will remain open through June 17th. Graduates are eligible for 60 professional development credit (gmul hishtalmut) hours and grade. For details, see our FAQ page or click below for further inquiries. This course includes two mandatory day-length seminars at Yad Vashem. Course fee is 350 NIS. (Irgun Hamorim members: Before ordering, please contact us through the "further inquiries" link below, to receive a subsidized rate.) Course opening is subject to minimal registration.
- Syllabus
- Course website
- For further inquiries
- Registration (secure website)
- Israeli teachers - contact us and request to join the course
Online Course: The "Final Solution of the Jewish Problem"
"At the Edge of the Abyss: The Holocaust of European Jewry”
This course covers the steps in the establishment of the "Final Solution," and its execution in various countries. Through personal testimonies, Nazi documentation, research, and photographs, we learn about the evolution of the "Final Solution", the camp system, daily life in the camps, and more.
Online Course: Commemoration and Remembrance
"At the Edge of the Abyss: The Holocaust of European Jewry”
This course focuses on Holocaust consciousness in the period beginning in the 1950s and continuing through the end of the 20th century. Particular attention is paid to the role of Survivors in Holocaust awareness, as well as artistic representation of the Holocaust in the arts, Holocaust denial, and more.
“Life Lessons – Bringing Holocaust History to Your Classroom”
Online Courses for Educators
Designed specifically for teachers and educators, this new online course provides chapters in Holocaust history alongside pedagogic tools applicable to the classroom. In keeping with Yad Vashem's educational philosophy, the historical content is explored through a multi-disciplinary approach. Participants will work with actual educational material used by the International School for Holocaust Studies and explore implementation of these sources for a variety of age groups, using a dynamic series of approaches.
