The International School for Holocaust Studies
e-Newsletter for Holocaust Educators
Welcome to the 25th issue of Teaching the Legacy. This edition focuses on the fate of the Jews of North Africa during the Holocaust. We feel that this is an important topic, as only recently has it been officially acknowledged that the Jews of North Africa faced the looming prospect of systematic mass murder and the Final Solution – yet unlike the Jews of Europe, they had the fortune to be saved as the tide of the war turned in favor of the Allied armies.
The main article discusses this acknowledgment, and the factual bases for the assertion that the Jews of North Africa would have met the same fate as the Jews of Europe. There are also articles on the Jews of Libya and on the Jews of French North Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), which give some factual background as to exactly what did occur in these countries during the war years. We are proud that this newsletter features an interview with Benjamin Doron (Dadush), himself a child survivor from Libya, who made aliyah after the war and fought in the Palmach and the Israeli army. There is also an accompanying teacher’s guide that can be used by educators to discuss the day-to-day life of the Jews in Libya before World War II.
As always, the newsletter features new publications, book reviews, and updates on recent and upcoming activities at the International School for Holocaust Studies and across Yad Vashem. We hope you find this issue interesting and resourceful, and we look forward to your feedback. We hope you find this issue interesting and resourceful, and we look forward to your feedback.
Main Article – “The Jews of North Africa”
This article discusses the factual bases for the assertion that the Jews of North Africa would have met the same fate as the Jews of Europe in the Final Solution, had the tide of the war not turned against the Axis powers. gives background history to the Holocaust in France. It also provides some tools for using this as a topic in classroom lessons and discussion.
Background Article – “The Jews of Libya”
Libya was an Italian colony prior to World War II. This article discusses what happened to the Jews of Libya once the war began, and why there is no Jewish community today in Libya.
What’s New at Yad Vashem
- Kaddish – I Am Here: On September 8, 2011, a unique concert featuring the stirring words of Holocaust survivors, performed by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra - IBA, soloists and choirs from Israel and the United States, and conducted by Gil Shohat took place at Yad Vashem.
- Yad Vashem Launches YouTube Channel in Farsi: To mark the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem has launched a YouTube channel in Farsi, as well as an expanded version of its Farsi website.
- Yad Vashem takes leading role in Europe-wide project to connect archives: A European-wide archives and research project about the Holocaust that will allow easier access to dispersed and unconnected Holocaust documents was launched last week in Brussels.
- Featured Exhibition: “The Jerusalem of Lithuania – The Story of the Jewish Community of Vilna”
On the even of the Holocaust, the Jewish community of Vilna was the spiritual center of Eastern European Jewry. Around 60,000 Jews lived in Vilna, constituting 30% of the population. On June 24, 1941, the Germans invaded. This community, which had flourished for hundreds of years, was decimated. - Mini-Site Marking 70 years to Operation Barbarossa: “From Persecution to Mass Murder, 1941 – A Turning Point in the Fate of the Jews”. This mini-site focuses on the mass murder carried out by Einsatzgruppen units in the Soviet Union.
- The 61st issue of the Yad Vashem Magazine – Spring 2011 is now online.
Recommended Books
In this section, we feature some Holocaust-related literature that may be of interest to educators and the general public.
New Publications
New publications from Yad Vashem and the International School for Holocaust Studies.
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Background Article – “The Jews of French North Africa”
Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia were French territories and protectorates prior to World War II. When France surrendered to Germany in 1940, the laws of the Vichy regime (unoccupied France) were applied to these French territories. This article describes the treatment of the Jews in these countries under the Vichy regime.
Interview with Benjamin Doron (Dadosh)
Read this interview with Benjamin Doron, a child survivor from Libya who managed to make aliyah to Israel.
Artifacts from the Holocaust
This piece discusses some of the artifacts that survived the Holocaust in North Africa.
Righteous Among the Nations
Vladimir Imshennik, a Russian Orthodox priest, and his wife Galina, Lithuania
This segment spotlights unique individuals who risked their lives in order to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Marking the Seventieth Commemoration of the Mass Murder at Babi Yar
September 28-29, 2011 marks the seventieth anniversary of the victims of Babi Yar, near Kiev, where 33,771 Jewish people were murdered in two days. This short piece spotlights the commemoration of this event, which took place on October 3-4, 2011.
What’s New on the International School for Holocaust Studies Website
- Online Courses with Gmul Credit – A brand new online course with gmul credit for Israeli teachers has just begun (it’s not too late to register!) The course is: At the Edge of the Abyss: “Commemoration and Remembrance”. For more information and to register, click here.
- Yad Vashem is Urgently Seeking Footage for a new exhibition. If you have color footage, including home movies, that was filmed in Europe or North Africa prior to the Holocaust, please contact +972-2-644-3597 or film.archive@yadvashem.org.il
What’s New at the International School for Holocaust Studies
- European Department: Please read about the positive feedback from the seminars that took place between May and September 2011.
- Jewish World Department's International Seminars for Educators: Please read about the new seminars in the Jewish World Department.
- International Seminars in the English Department
The English Department will be holding a seminar for educators from China from October 24. 2011 through November 7, 2011.
The e-Newsletter
Editorial Board: Shulamit Imber, Dorit Novak, Dana Porath, Naama Shik
Editor: Sheryl Ochayon
Writing Staff: Kathryn Berman, Lani Berman (contributor), Jackie Metzger, Sheryl Ochayon
Design and Production: Stephanie Amara, Liz Elsby, Jeremy Zauder
Contact Us: internet.education@yadvashem.org.il
