|
DISCUSSION FORUMS FOR EDUCATORS LAUNCHED ON HMH WEB
SITE
Holocaust Museum Houston's newly
redesigned Web site now offers online discussion forums for educators
to confer with each other on issues related to teaching the Holocaust and
other genocides. The forums are divided into groups for elementary
educators, middle school educators, high school educators, and college and
university educators. There are also three special groups designed for
alumni of Museum programs: the Max M. Kaplan Summer Institute for
Educators, the Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers and participants of
the Conference for Spanish Latin American Teachers of the
Holocaust.
Educators can sign up to join
the discussion forums by registering at http://www.hmh.org/ed_discussion_group.shtml. To register, click the "Register" link at the
upper right top of the page. Participation in the forum will
permit educators from across the country to share ideas, ask questions and
discover new resources.
SIGN
UP FOR MUSEUM'S HOLOCAUST STUDY TRIP TO
EUROPE
This special trip set for June 8-19, 2010
focuses on the experiences of the Holocaust that occurred in Western
Europe. Beginning in Munich, participants will travel through
Germany, Austria and end in The Netherlands. Seven concentration camps
will be viewed. At each, special notice will be made to the experiences of
survivors who settled in the Houston area. In addition, many other
relevant historic sites will be visited. Arrangements include
first-class hotels throughout, breakfast daily and admission to the sites
planned for the trip.
Child survivor and Museum board member Chaja
Verveer will accompany the tour throughout and lead the group through the
Netherlands to visit the sites of her family’s experiences. The
Museum's director of education, Dr. Mary Lee Webeck, also will
accompany the tour and provide historic content for many of the sites to
be visited. Arrangements are being made for education directors at
sites like the Anne Frank House and The House of the Wannsee Conference to
conduct tours there.
Space for this escorted motorcoach tour
is limited to 40 participants. Cost of the trip is $3,575 per person
based on double occupancy. Insurance and airfare are additional. If paying
by check, the cost is $3,430 per person based on double occupancy. For
more information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 123 or e-mail teachertraining@hmh.org.
VIEWING DATES
EXTENDED FOR EXHIBITS AT HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
HOUSTON
  Viewing periods for two new exhibits at Holocaust
Museum Houston, including a landmark exhibition on Pope John Paul II and
his relationship to the Jewish people, have been extended due to high
demand for group tours.
Museum Executive Director Susan Myers said tens of
thousands of people already have viewed the exhibits “A Blessing to One
Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People" and "Besa: Muslims Who
Saved Jews During the Holocaust."
The papal exhibit had been scheduled to close on Jan. 3,
2010, but Myers said the Museum's capacity for guided group tours through
the end of the year had already been reached even though many schools,
churches and other groups were still requesting tour dates.
"These exhibits focus on people who stood up to evil and
injustice and who – despite risk to themselves – took the right actions
and made the correct decisions. Their stories are those of heroes, and we
want to be sure as many people as possible have an opportunity to view
these exhibits," Myers said.
The exhibit on Pope John Paul II will now close March 21,
2010, and the Besa exhibit will end on April 4, 2010. Both exhibits are on
view in the Museum’s Morgan Family Center, 5401 Caroline St., in Houston’s
Museum District. Admission is free.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE MAX M. KAPLAN
SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATORS
The Max M. Kaplan Summer Institute
for Educators at Holocaust Museum Houston is a four-day program that moves
beyond the general history of the Holocaust to explore the various
dimensions and implications of the Holocaust and other genocides. The
institute, scheduled for July 6 – 9, 2010, provides substantive
content and the opportunity to network with internationally known scholars
of the Holocaust and teachers from around the world.
Working in the Museum’s exhibit
space and classrooms, teachers grow in their understanding of the
Holocaust and refine their skills to teach about the history and lessons
of the Holocaust.
The program is directed toward
educators on a secondary or higher level, but university students and
educators of all levels who have a specific interest in, and background
knowledge of, the Holocaust are invited to apply. Seating is limited and
is on a competitive basis. The cost to attend the program is $150, which
includes lunch and materials for the four days.
To receive
information about the program, including an application, e-mail teachertraining@hmh.org or call 713-942-8000, ext. 123.
This educator training project has
been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material
Claims Against Germany, Inc.; and is generously underwritten by
the Max M. Kaplan Teacher Education Fund and the Chevra Kadisha Holocaust
Studies Scholarship Fund, with special thanks to Continental
Airlines, the official airline of Holocaust Museum Houston.
FREE LECTURE
FOCUSES ON “THE JEWISH FASCINATION WITH ISLAM”
 How Jewish scholars shaped the rise of Islamic studies
in Europe in the 19th century will be the focus of a free public lecture
by educator Susannah Heschel on Thursday, March 4, 2010, beginning
at 7 p.m. at Holocaust Museum Houston.
Jewish scholarship
on Islamic origins and the widely read narratives of Jewish travelers to
Islamic countries shaped European images of Muslims as well as of Jews.
The Jewish admiration for Islam ultimately led some Jews to convert to
Islam, some of whom became significant religious leaders, while others
became political representatives who negotiated with European leaders.
Heschel is the Eli
Black Associate Professor of Jewish Studies in the Department of Religion
at Dartmouth College. Seating is limited, and advance registration is
required. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.
FILM
SCREENING SCHEDULED FOR “FROM SWASTIKA TO JIM
CROW"
Educators are invited to join Holocaust Museum Houston, The
Academy Foundation, the University of Houston’s Center for Public History,
Texas Learning and Computation Center and The Dawn Project for a special
screening of “From Swastika to Jim Crow" on Monday, March 1, 2010
beginning at 7 p.m. at the Museum's Albert and Ethel Herzstein
Theater.
This
film is the little-known story of Jewish refugee scholars who, when
expelled from Germany by the Nazis, were inspired anew by their students
in the historically black colleges in the American South. Following the
film, Steven Fischler, filmmaker, and Dr. Sarah Trotty, associate
professor of art at Texas Southern University, will provide personal
commentary about the film and take questions.
Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance
registration is required. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. For more information, call
713-527-1640 or e-mail membership@hmh.org.
WEB RESOURCE
OF THE MONTH
One of Holocaust Museum
Houston's new educational programs focuses on “Jim Crow and the
Nuremberg Laws: The Impact of Racist Ideologies.” The Web site
of the Jim Crow Museum, http://www.ferris.edu/JIMCROW/, offers significant
resources on this topic.
A lesson plan based on this
presentation will be added to the Museum’s Web site later this
spring. |
