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Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Holocaust education

Second Generation Holocaust Speaker to Share Unique Story of Missing Licenses Found in Germany

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On Wednesday, January 8th, the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) will host second generation Holocaust speaker Lisa Salko, who will appear on the HHREC MemoryKeeper series to present 13 Jewish Drivers’ Licenses.  

In November of 2018, Salko, her sisters and cousins traveled to Lichtenfels, Bavaria, Germany to reclaim their grandfather’s and two great uncles’ drivers’ licenses which had been confiscated by the Nazis 80 years earlier, shortly after Kristallnacht. The drivers’ licenses had been rediscovered while the town was digitizing records in 2017. What started as a trip about reclaiming a part of their family turned into something so much bigger than them.

13 Jewish Drivers’ Licenses is about a small Bavarian town coming to terms with its darkest past. Salko shares the story of her weeklong trip which coincided with the 80th Anniversary of Kristallnacht.

“I’m grateful to be sharing my personal story with you.” said Salko. “ It’s an important story; one of discovery, reflection, reconciliation, and hope. It is extremely relevant given the rise of antisemitic occurrences in our country today, throughout Germany and Europe, I’ll be taking you on a journey to Lichtenfels, Germany where my maternal family is from, and introduce you to a remarkable group of Upstanders, and share all they have done to educate their community about the Holocaust and the importance of Holocaust remembrance.”

Salko is a member of the HHREC GenerationsForward program, which is composed of second and third generation children and grandchildren of Holocaust victims and survivors, who share their family stories. She has presented 13 Drivers’ Licenses at synagogues, libraries, educational symposiums, middle and high schools; at Manhattanville University, Baruch College/CUNY, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the German Consulate in New York, the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in NYC, and Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, Israel. This past March, she appeared as the keynote speaker at the HHREC High School Human Rights Institute at Iona University.

Salko also served as a consultant and appeared in a short documentary film 13 Drivers Licenses’,  an internationally acclaimed and award-winning film directed by Ryoya Terao, a Documentarian and Professor at NYC College of Technology/CUNY. The film has won over 30 awards worldwide.

Salko is a real estate professional at Benerofe Properties Corp., a real estate and private equity investment firm based in White Plains, NY.

The program will commence online via Zoom at 7:00PM. The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit the HHREC events page at hhrecny.org.

About The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in White Plains New York that serves schools, synagogues, colleges, churches and civic centers in Westchester and the greater Hudson Valley area. The HHREC Mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. HHREC works with teachers and students to help schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, the HHREC has brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to more than 3,000 teachers, and through them to thousands of students. For more information visit www.hhrecny.org call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org

 

HHREC Selected by New York State Education Department To Revise Curricula For Teaching History of the Holocaust

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) of White Plains has been selected by the New York State Education Department to revise and update all curricular resources to teach the Holocaust and other genocides in order to meet the 1994 mandate. Steven A. Goldberg, the HHREC Director of Education, serves as the project manager. The Archives Trust under the leadership of Janet Braga is designing a unique platform to house the project.

HHREC will work with 29 active and retired educators from New York State to research and write materials for elementary, middle, and high school social studies and ELA teachers. One of the guiding principles is the notion of unique people rather than anonymity, reflecting the importance of case studies of individuals as lenses into a better comprehension of the enormity and complexity of these historical events. In addition to chronological segments on the Holocaust, the Resource Guide will also include sections on the Nature of Human Behavior, Literature and Art, The United States and the Holocaust, and “other genocides,” such as Armenia (1915-17), Holodomor (1932-33), Rwanda (1994), and Rohingya (2016).  A special template for the analysis of genocides will be included. The guide will contain glossaries of terminology, lessons, activities, primary and secondary source readings, with questions, visual documents (i.e. photographs, maps, political cartoons, graphs, and charts), and hyperlinks to both personal testimonies and films.

“We are very excited to share the news that HHREC has been selected by the New York State Education Department to work on this important initiative.” said Millie Jasper, HHREC Executive Director. “As we have seen a significant rise in antisemitism and a growing number of people questioning the history of the Holocaust and other genocides, it is important now more than ever to educate students about these historic events, and their relevance today in our schools and communities, here in New York State and across the country.

 

NEWS COURTESY of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center

About The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in White Plains New York that serves schools, synagogues, colleges, churches and civic centers in Westchester and the greater Hudson Valley area. The HHREC Mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. HHREC works with teachers and students to help schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, the HHREC has brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to more than 3,000 teachers, and through them to thousands of students. For more information visit www.hhrecny.org or call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org

 

HHREC Announces Summer Educator’s Study Tour of Holocaust Museums and Historic Sites March

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) will host teachers and others interested in learning about the history of the Holocaust at the HHREC National Educators’ Trip to Germany & Poland June 24-July 9, 2023.

HHREC Director of Education Steve Goldberg and professional tour guide Gerrit Book will lead a two-week series of educational seminars from June 24th to July 9th. This program is designed to offer insight into the history of the Jewish Community in Germany and Poland, trace the origins of the Holocaust, and tour monuments and memorial sites. The tour will include stops at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the former Warsaw Ghetto, and Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany.

“Our sponsorship of this educational mission enables our teachers to enhance their understanding of this dark period in human history by literally ‘walking the walk’ where the Holocaust was conceived and implemented.” said Steve Goldberg, HHREC Director of Education. “They also can see how the perpetrators have memorialized their victims through unique monuments. This life-changing experience will impact their teaching in the years to come.”

For more information, contact Steve Goldberg sgoldberg@HHRECNY.org or visit the HHREC website hhrecny.org.

News courtesy of the HHREC.

Memory Keepers Event Schedule Announced by the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center  (HHREC) of White Plains, has announced their Memory Keepers Story Hour schedule for the end of this year and through 2022.

These events will be offered on a virtual online platform, and will feature HHREC Holocaust Survivors, Liberators, and Generations Forward speakers – a second, third and fourth generation group that includes children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

Lisa Salko

The event series will be offered on Zoom, and resume on Wednesday, November 17th, and will feature HHREC Generations Forward Speaker Lisa Salko. Salko tells the story of 13 Drivers’ Licenses. In November of 2018, she travelled with her sisters and cousins to Lichtenfels, Bavaria, Germany to reclaim their grandfather’s and two great uncles’ drivers’ licenses which had been confiscated by the Nazis 80 years earlier, shortly after Kristallnacht and rediscovered while the town was digitizing records in 2017. The Thirteen Drivers’ Licenses project was recently honored at a ceremony in Munich, Germany with a prize that acknowledges outstanding achievements in historical and scientific research, in educational work and journalism. The HHREC Memory Keepers Story Hour speaker series schedule includes:

November 17th, 2021 – Lisa Salko

December 8th, 2021 – Mindy Nagorsky-Israel

January 12th, 2022- Naomi Koller

February 9th, 2022- Phyllis Shaw

March 9th, 2022- Maddy Israel and Esther Loewenthal

April 6th, 2022- Noa Ganz and Sam Pittman

May 11th, 2022 – Monica Mandell

June 8th, 2022: Joseph Kaidanow

“These stories provide a unique opportunity to hear from a very special group of Survivors and next generation family members into the consequences of human hate, and help people reflect, as they realize that choices matter, that one person can make a difference” said HHREC Executive Director Millie Jasper. She added “We are eternally grateful for the contributions from these courageous men and women who share their stories of survival and personal experiences from the Holocaust, and to their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren for their effort to help share them today , and for generations to come. Sadly, the number of our Survivors is dwindling, and we are taking great care to recognize what they mean to all of us and preserve their memories and the impact they have had – and will continue to have – for future generations.”

The HHREC launched the Memory Keepers Story Hour series in 2020 in support of their mission – to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, to promote the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect, and to encourage speaking up and acting against all forms of hate, bigotry, and prejudice. The HHREC has been inviting guests to attend these events to hear members of their Speakers Bureau share their family’s uniquely powerful Holocaust experiences and present their testimonies to their origins. The HHREC Memory Keepers Speakers Bureau includes 26 Holocaust Survivors, 3 Honorary Holocaust Liberator Speakers, and 36   GenerationsForward Speakers who tell their stories from a “next generation” perspective, adding new meaning to the survivors’ powerful stories.

All virtual events begin at 7 p.m. To register for these events, email Millie Jasper mjasper@hhrecny.org for Zoom log-in information or call the HHREC at 914.696.0738.

About The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center is a not-for-profit organization based in White Plains New York that serves Westchester, Fairfield and neighboring counties. Their Mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. We encourage students to speak up and act against all forms of bigotry and prejudice. Their work with students and teachers helps schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, they have brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights crimes to more than 1,500 teachers, and through them to thousands of middle and high school students. Through their volunteer Educators Program Committee, the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center gives teachers the unique opportunity to develop programs for themselves and others. These programs not only enrich teachers’ knowledge about the Holocaust and related issues, but they   also provide the lens through which to view all other human rights violations. For more information call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org 

HHREC Announces 2022 Summer Educators Tour Plans and Registration Opening

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) has announced their 2022 Study Tour of Germany and Poland. This HHREC educational mission offers teachers  a unique opportunity to visit the sites of the Holocaust in Germany and Poland and speak with experts in the field. The guided tour and trip will run from July 2nd to 17th and will be offered to educators from the Lower Hudson Valley of New York and from other parts of the U.S.

” We are very excited to resume offering our Educators Study Tour in 2022” said Steven Goldberg, Co-Director of Education at HHREC. “And while we have enjoyed offering this unique biennial program to teachers here in Lower Hudson since 2012, is it gratifying to hear from many others around the country who are planning to join us.  The is designed to expand teacher comprehension of this monumental event in human history and inspire and motivate them as they prepare to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and promote protection of Human Rights to their students.  He added “It is very important to us and our mission to pass on the lessons we have learned for the future.” 

Trip highlights for the 2022 HHREC Summer Tour include:

  • Sightseeing Coach Tour of Berlin, including Berlin Wall Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, Bebelplatz
  • Holocaust Memorials in Berlin (Murdered Jews of Europe, Memorial in the Bavarian Quarter, Memorial Track 17 – Berlin Grunewald, Homosexuals, Sinti and Roma, “T4” Memorial, Stolpersteine)
  • Educational programs at the House of the Wannsee Conference, Murdered Jews of Europe Memorial Museum, Jewish Museum (Berlin), Stasi Museum Marienfelder Refugee Center, Documentation Center Nazi Party Parade Grounds in Nürnberg, Nürnberg Courthouse, Polin (Museum of the History of Polish Jews)
  • Tour and educational program at Sachsenhausen and Auschwitz-Birkenau
  • Tour of Kasimierz historic Jewish section of Krakow
  • Panel discussion on Jewish life and antisemitism in Germany today and visit to a synagogue in Berlin
  • Panel discussion on Migrant Settlement in Germany: Education, Housing, Employment, Legal Issues
  • Program on tolerance education and civil society in Germany: 7xjung – training ground for solidarity and respect

The Summer Tour Trip cost includes intercontinental roundtrip flights New York (JFK) – Berlin (BER), public transportation including local coach or taxi, local and long-distance trains, Intra-European trains and flights, and accommodations include breakfast in 3- and 4-star hotels (14 nights) in Berlin, Nürnberg, Warsaw, Krakow, lunches and dinners, an English- speaking guide, lectures, discussions, and local guided tours in English or with English translation, and museum entrance fees. Lower Hudson Valley New York educators will receive a $2100 honorarium, and all participants will receive 90 CTLE hours at the conclusion of the program.

For more information, and to register, visit hhrecny.org/educators-study-tours or contact Steven Goldberg at sgoldberg@hhrecny.org

About The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center is a not-for-profit organization based in White Plains New York that serves Westchester, Fairfield and neighboring counties. Their Mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. We encourage students to speak up and act against all forms of bigotry and prejudice. Their work with students and teachers helps schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, they have brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights crimes to more than 1500 teachers, and through them to thousands of middle and high school students. Through their volunteer Educators Program Committee, the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center gives teachers the unique opportunity to develop programs for themselves and others. These programs not only enrich teachers’ knowledge about the Holocaust and related issues, but they   also provide the lens through which to view all other human rights violations. For more information call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org