Professional Development
Professional development opportunities for school systems and school staff are on-going and can be tailored to the needs of your educational community. A few possibilities within the Virginia Holocaust Museum are:
- Full-day workshops, including a tour of the VHM and a workshop focusing on the teaching of the Holocaust.
- Half-day workshops, including a tour of the VHM and an overview of available educational materials and opportunities for students
- Workshops delivered by special guests
Workshop: March 7, 2024
Free Educator Workshop: When Civil Society Stands Up – Sephardic Jews, the Holocaust, and the Bosnian War
March 7 @ 10:00 am - 3:30 pm EST
Location: Virginia Holocaust Museum
Deadline to Register: Feb. 29, 2024
Join the Virginia Holocaust Museum and Centropa for a day of professional development focused on the experience of Sephardic Jews.
In 1492, Sephardic Jews—Jews whose ancestors were originally from Spain—came to the Ottoman Empire (including today’s Balkan region), when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain expelled them. Eighty percent of the Jews of Yugoslavia were murdered during the Holocaust, and the same in Greece. In this workshop, you will learn about Sephardic Jews in the Balkans, the Holocaust, and two remarkable stories of when civil society stood up in times of war—once during the Holocaust, and another time during the Bosnian war of the 1990s. You will return to your students with resources in Spanish and English for teaching this history.
In this workshop, you will spend time with Centropa’s interviews, photographs, short multimedia films, thematic websites, and podcasts.
This workshop is free for educators and includes:
- Breakfast, Coffee, and Lunch
- English and Spanish Language Resources for Educators
- A Certificate of Attendance
About Centropa:  Centropa is a non-profit, Jewish historical institute dedicated to preserving 20th century Jewish family stories and photos from Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and disseminating these stories and photos through films, books, and exhibitions. Centropa offices are in Budapest, Hamburg, Austria, Vienna and Washington, DC.
About Lauren Granite, Workshop Facilitator:  Dr. Lauren Granite, US Education Director for Centropa—a historical institute based in Vienna—has a Ph.D. from Drew University, and master’s degree from the University of Chicago. Before joining Centropa in 2010, she spent more than a dozen years teaching Jewish history to adults, college students, and teens. She builds Centropa’s network of Jewish, public, parochial and charter schools in North America, and designs workshops, seminars, webinars, and Centropa’s annual Summer Academy, where 70 educators from 15 countries come together to study history in the great cities of Central Europe. Dr. Granite also mentors teachers, designs online and in-person activities, and establishes teacher advisory teams for Centropa programs. Her latest project is creating a network of museum educators in the US and Europe to discover ways that Centropa can support their work with museum visitors, particularly visiting school classes.
A limited number of scholarships are available for teachers 120+ miles from Richmond. Scholarships are to help cover travel, housing, and meals.
Please contact Megan Ferenczy mferenczy@vaholocaust.org for more information about travel scholarships or for workshop questions.
Sign Up Here!
Workshop: March 20, 2024
'Antisemitism: Understanding and Countering this Hatred Today'
Date:Â March 20, 2024
Time: 10 am-3:30 pm
Location:Â Virginia Holocaust Museum
Registration Deadline: March 13, 2024
WHY ATTEND THIS PROGRAM?
How do we help students understand that antisemitism did not begin nor end with the Holocaust? What do students need to know in order to recognize antisemitism today and to stand up to antisemitism and other forms of hate?
This learning opportunity explores classroom materials to support effective teaching of contemporary antisemitism, its global reach, and its expression in the form of hate speech, violence, denial, and distortion of the Holocaust.
PROGRAM GOALS
Through this program, educators will:
- Define contemporary manifestations of antisemitism, both different and the same as traditional forms of antisemitism present before and during the Holocaust;
- Discover and utilize classroom lessons and resources to help students explore the persistence and impact of antisemitism worldwide;
- Explore ways to support students’ ability to recognize and actively to respond and prevent antisemitism and other forms of prejudice; and
- Build confidence and capacity to teach this subject.
“ I am impressed. I feel this gives me what I need to address this tough topic with my students. Thank you.”
—Middle School Social Studies Teacher
This workshop is free for educators and includes:
This workshop is free for educators and includes:
- Breakfast, Coffee, and Lunch
- Echoes and Reflections Resources
- A Certificate of Attendance
Sign Up Here!
WORKSHOP: April 9, 2024
The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Teaching About Women
Who Changed the Course of WWII
10 AM - 4 PM
@The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA
The National D-Day Memorial and the Virginia Holocaust Museum present “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Teaching About Women Who Changed the Course of WWII.” Join us as author Major General Mari K. Eder shares the courageous and overlooked stories of women from World War II that she highlights in her book. You will also hear the untold stories of Virginia women from Virginia World War II Heritage Alliance member archives. Learn the history, best practices, and resources to use in the classroom. This workshop is in partnership with the MacArthur Memorial and the Military Aviation Museum.
This workshop is free for educators and includes:
- Breakfast, coffee, and lunch
- Copy of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of Women Who Changed the Course of World War II.
- Certificate of Attendance
Space is limited. Registration deadline March 31, 2024.
Alexander Lebenstein Teacher Education Institute
The Alexander Lebenstein Teacher Education Institute assists educators with their understanding of the Holocaust and genocide. Sessions focus on historical background and pedagogy which link to the Virginia Standards of Learning requirements. TEI is offered in partnership with Longwood University and is funded through generous teacher sponsorships.
Law Enforcement: Examining Ethics and Leadership
Law Enforcement:  Ethics and Leadership Program focuses on the role of law enforcement during the Holocaust and the role that law enforcement plays in today’s society.  This 4 hour program is ideal for law enforcement at the local, state and federal level and includes:
- A guided Museum tour
- Presentation and discussion of the role of law enforcement in the Nazi State
- An examination on the role of law enforcement in contemporary society
If you are interested in booking this program contact us HERE.