In attending this amazing session representing Echoes and Reflections, by speaker Kim Klett, being the actual first session of AASL, it seems as I mentioned in ties to Ms. Ruth Toor, this seems appropriate to have such a great resource such as Echoes and Reflections for curriculum.
What was shocking to me, and I find I keep discovering new aspects of the Holocaust despite the many workshops, seminars, and courses I have been part of in the Holocaust, I STILL learn new aspects of the manipulation that went into this whole movement against the Jewish people.
In light of the current confict between Israel and Palestine, this is even more timely to incorporate into the curriculum across the country. Such as:
To “sell” the idea of concentration camps, people were paid to get into concentration camps as wel as this was sold as a work place or resort – even some German soldiers were not truly informed about what these camps were. This truly blew my mind and shocked me, despite knowing so much about the Holocaust already.
It is amazing the lengths Germans took to “sell” this propoganda-filled sell of concentration camps:
In 1943 October, Denmark (look at 1943 on this timeline) wanted to see the camps, and so it took until June 23 1944, which showed a beautified camp. By the time the Red Cross came, Theresienstadt looked like an amazing place, images exist from film, and made it appear how the furor gave the Jewish people a city – so much propaganda at work. The beauty of this amazing site is additional resources like the interviews – such as this one of Eric Nash – which his one statement how there were coffee shops with no coffee- so much of a facade!
I also felt the examination of Prewar Jewish life and the existence of antisemitism is as important as we find other origins such as origins of slavery, displacement of indigenous tribes, so much carryover to other societal patterns based on examining history.
An example of this was how in January 1933 how many Jewish communities there actually were in GERMANY, let alone other European areas – as well as the massive number of Jewish positions all over Europe, and how the statistic of less than 1% of Jewish people made up the country – and yet targeted so much in World War II.
One of the powerful tools is how you can trace routes of immigration when people leaving and this led to the Henry Sinason interview.
In being able to define antisemitism – Echoes and Reflections is able to show the depth of these lessons and how they can change the thought process of the Holocaust- I LOVE these resources.
What is propaganda? – “Files or partly false info intended to shape people’s opinion and action that fulfills the propoganda’s intent.” Another great resource on this –
and such a powerful way to tie Rhetorical devices using modern examples of Vogue, teen, and other publications. The resources in Echoes and Reflections that lead students and teachers to this are powerful.
Resources such as a Campaign poster 1932 indicating that Germans last Hope was Hitler
Resources to the Holocaust museum, issues of scapegoating, name-calling, asking What rhetorical devices are the strongest?, all this propaganda in 1938 that referred to the book the Poisonous Mushroom and the analysis of posters among students is powerful. From a mother picking mushrooms and trying to convince readers that Jewish people are lying and thieving, Jews depicted as Christ killers , and what a good Aryan family looks like- there is much to be learned on how prejudice can be started.
In looking at the Esther Clifford interview yet another aspect of what was happening from a first hand account through Echoes and Reflections provides.
There are some great references and images to the Der sturmer newspaper at kiosks, where is a child is reading it, (showing how youth are being influenced by German propaganda) a tag line that said, “The Jews are our Misfortune” emphasizes the level of antisemitism and the lengths that were spent in this time. It was noteworthy of this quote and how relevant to today!
“Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”, is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels” – Goebbels has extensive ties to the points of his propaganda campaign as well that can be examined an light of today’s events. The phrase from Goebbels “Truth is the enemy of the state” represents or resembles much of what I see today in news today.
What is also important in the ghetto of Theresienstadt is what happens to the individuals AFTER the fascade was over. I feel this encourages students to not just tale face value information presented to them but to begin to feel empowered to ask questions before and after events as presented. This encourages the manipulation towards the truth about all media in many differing points in time, not just the one presented.
Further, the look at Thomas Fritta is an important one, as a voice pushing back against the Nazi propaganda that was being pushed out. The death of Fritta in 1944 is a sad one as the work he had done up to that time, was vital in pushing back against false narratives and the end of this period was so close to being ended, and yet he did not leave to see libreration.
In top of all this, you see the style of SAMS-
Story Audience. Message. Style in the backdrop of all this information available to teachers and students alike. All of these can be looked at from the receiving and sending ends to show how reality is manipulated. The sophisticated organization and interactive elements of Echoes and Reflections puts you in a museum setting, wherever you are accessing this information. From the podcasts, to student activities, to educator alignments, it is vital to the question of asking this present day question, why didn’t antisemitism end?
The units written as lesson plans is ideal – and with over 10 student activities, room for adjustment of differentiation exists from the very beginning. Lessons are 90 minutes per session, and I do remember years ago being involved with an educator Holocaust seminar for several days, quite extensive, and being given for my school district, a complex collection of CD’s that held the voices, interviews, and looks into survivor’s accounts. Now, this is even more streamlined and organized, and more robust to help the educator present an even more complex picture, of how the past has caught up with us in some ways regarding so many issues. This is priceless, and was a priceless session offering a wealth of support for educators.
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