TOLI provides professional development seminars for educators in the US and abroad that link the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides to current world events, thereby working with teachers to promote a human rights and social justice agenda in their classrooms.
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TOLI MOVES TO VIRTUAL PROGRAMS DURING CORONAVIRUS
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As a result of the coronavirus crisis, TOLI has shifted to virtual programming for many of its activities in the US and Europe. There is still the possibility of in-person programs in Wisconsin in August and in Italy, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Greece later on this year. However, in the interest of safety, TOLI has shifted most of its summer offerings to online platforms.
In the US, where 16 professional development seminars were planned for this summer, we are rolling out new online programs for incoming participants as well as for our large network of alumni, which will include lectures on anti-Semitism, several film screenings and reading groups, and conversations with Holocaust survivors and scholars. We are also planning a study group for all of TOLI’s 35 satellite leaders on the topic of systemic racism and how Holocaust education can address institutional, cultural, and personal change.
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The highlight in 2020 for TOLI Europe is a 10-week online seminar for 40 teachers from several European countries. Coordinated by TOLI's International Program Director Oana Nestian-Sandu, this will be TOLI’s first transnational seminar for European teachers, bringing together teachers from various countries.
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TOLI STATEMENT ON
RACISM AND PROTESTS
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TOLI’s many programs for teachers address the issues of racism and discrimination against all minorities, drawing upon the lessons of the Holocaust. In response to systemic anti-Black racism and worldwide protests, TOLI issued the following statement.
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We at TOLI, like so many others, are deeply disturbed over the senseless killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the far too many other Black people who have died because of systemic racism. It is unacceptable that the scourge of racism, inequality before the law, and social injustice are still prevalent in American society.
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ONLINE EDUCATORS FORUM:
SHARING BEST PRACTICES
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TOLI’s flagship seminar, which was scheduled to be held in New York City in June, was postponed until 2021. Working with US TOLI directors Dr. Sondra Perl and Dr. Jennifer Lemberg, the 28 teachers accepted to this program will now meet online once a month in interactive sessions to share their expertise by presenting their own approaches to teaching about the Holocaust. Written responses and reflections on each session will be posted to a discussion forum on the TOLI website. This ongoing activity will create a sense of community long before the group meets in person one year from now.
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TEACHER PROFILE: JENNIFER RODGERS
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It was in August, 2017, when the “Unite the Right” rally brought White supremacists and neo-Nazis to a violent confrontation in Charlottesville, Va. that Jennifer Rodgers, who teaches government and social issues at Dominion High School in Virginia, felt that she had to do something.
“I became increasingly disturbed by the events in Charlottesville. The outpouring of hate that happened there that day opened my eyes to the big purpose of education, which is to make sure our students are good citizens and globally minded,” said the Loudon County educator.
Jennifer heard about the TOLI annual seminar in New York and participated in the 2018 program. It was a transformative experience.
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“I just knew the answer to what happened there was in the classroom, so TOLI seemed like the perfect fit for this drive. I have to make sure our students aren’t ignorant or prejudiced, and that they have the compassion and courage to stand up to injustice when they encounter it.”
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TOLI WELCOMES U.S. HOLOCAUST EDUCATION LAW
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TOLI welcomes the passage of the Never Again Education Act, signed into law on May 28, which provides $10 million of funding for Holocaust education in the US. The money will be administered over five years by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
“As memory of the Holocaust is in decline and anti-Semitism and extremism are on the rise, this is a landmark law that will support efforts to educate about the Holocaust and apply its lessons today in the classroom and community,” said David Field, Chairman and Mark Berez, President of TOLI.
Last year, TOLI hosted Rep. Maloney and representatives of various Jewish organizations at its office in New York, where she introduced the bill and spoke about its importance.
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Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D, NY) introduced her landmark Holocaust education bill at TOLI last year to leaders of several concerned organizations. In photo, from left: TOLI Board members Harry D. Wall and Carole Berez, Rep. Maloney, Senior Director of US Programs Dr. Sondra Perl, and Associate Director of US Programs Dr. Jennifer Lemberg.
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WE ARE HERE: A CELEBRATION OF RESILIENCE, RESISTANCE, AND HOPE
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Featuring award-winning media personalities
Whoopi Goldberg, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Adrien Brody, Mayim Bialik, and
Jackie Hoffman, world-renowned singers and musicians
Renee Fleming, Lea Salonga, Steven Skybell, Joyce DiDonato, and
Lang Lang, and other public figures from all walks of life, the free 90-minute program will commemorate the recent anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and project a message of hope amidst the crises we face. Find more info and tune in to view the program at
www.WeAreHere.live.
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ONLINE ART EXHIBIT IN MEMORY OF KATHY CARLISLE
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An online art exhibition in memory of Holocaust educator Kathy Carlisle, an art teacher from Sacramento, CA and an alumna of TOLI’s New York City seminar, has drawn hundreds of student submissions from both the US and abroad. Visit TOLI’s website, www.TOLInstitute.org, to see these creative student responses to the Holocaust.
This powerful piece entitled "Genocide" by Parkland, Florida student Madeline Dittman, was inspired by Holocaust witness testimony. Madeline is a student in TOLI teacher Ivy Schamis's 12th grade class.
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TOLI relies on the support of individual funders in order to continue providing Holocaust education to teachers around the country and around the world. Please consider supporting one of our 25 programs with a gift to TOLI. One of the most meaningful ways of honoring a loved one is to name one of our programs for them.
Also, please keep TOLI in mind regarding your charitable gift planning. We can work with your financial planner to create gifts of securities, life insurance, and real estate, as well as legacy gifts as you establish your will, trust, and beneficiary designations. The latter can be quite meaningful to families who have lost a loved one.
Remember that all donations are fully tax-deductible in the United States. You can make these arrangements by going online to www.tolinstitute.org or by contacting us at 212-249-5384 or at info@tolinstitute.org.
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NEVER AGAIN BEGINS IN THE CLASSROOM
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Please support TOLI programs, enabling thousands of teachers in the US and Europe to educate their students about the Holocaust and against hate and intolerance.
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Did You Know You Can Donate to TOLI Through Donor-Advised Funds?
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A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a type of giving program that allows you to combine the most favorable tax benefits with the flexibility to support your favorite charities. DAF Direct enables you to recommend grants to The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (TOLI).
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DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
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