Courses for Teachers and Facilitators The Raab Holocaust Education Center offers courses to teachers on sabbatical. The courses are taught by the Raab Center staff as well as by guest lecturers. Although designed for teachers on sabbatical, they are open to other interested teachers. Courses include: The Family in the Holocaust How to Teach the Holocaust The Holocaust and the Second Generation The Raab Holocaust Education Center, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, is planning courses to train facilitators to advise teachers. Holocaust Education for Immigrant Children from the Former Soviet Union The Holocaust and Jewish Identity The Raab Holocaust Education Center plays a significant role in teaching the Holocaust to children of immigrants from the former USSR. The theme of the Holocaust presents teachers with an opportunity to strengthen the children's Jewish identity. The Raab Center has been appointed to train teachers working in Shuvu (Return) Schools - a network of 63 schools and preschool programs throughout Israel with an enrollment of approximately 13,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union - to teach the Holocaust and to develop curricula that meet these children's needs. In pursuit of these goals, the Raab Center offers the following courses and projects: The Holocaust in the USSR This course is designed to give history teachers of immigrant children historical information about the Holocaust. Emphasis is placed on the history of the Jews in the USSR, their Jewish identity and Jewish values. A segment of the course is devoted to building a syllabus for teaching the Holocaust to immigrant children. "Roots" Project The aim of this project, designed for immigrant pupils and their families, is to reinforce their Jewish identity and connection with their Jewish roots. In the project, the pupils will discover their past by collecting family photos, documenting survivors, researching the community from which they came, and studying distinctive stories of their families. Jewish Life before the Holocaust This course is dedicated to strengthening Jewish identity through the study of the meaning of Jewish life before the Holocaust. Joint Activity for Pupils and Parents As a continuation of the Roots project, the Raab Holocaust Education Center offers a joint activity for pupils and parents in which they learn about life between World War I and II. This a quest for identity by means of studying the past. Documentation of Survivors from the Former Soviet Union The wartime experiences of immigrants who were behind the Iron Curtain for many years could not be documented until recently. The Raab Holocaust Education Center has set itself, as a paramount goal, the documentation of these immigrants' experiences during the Holocaust. The Raab Holocaust Education Center Reaches Out: In response to requests from schools, the Raab Center offers courses to teachers in elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools around the country. Staff members from the Raab Center go to the schools to give lectures, provide demonstrations, and offer consultations. The subjects offered include: - Spiritual leadership in the ghettoes - Rescue dilemmas during the Holocaust - Dilemmas of individuals and families - Local aspects of the Holocaust in countries such as the Netherlands, Hungary, or France - To be a child during the Holocaust Additional activities: The Raab Center develops study units for the core teacher's class period on the meaning of Jewish heroism, keeping the Jewish memory alive, related educational issues, and current events. Raab Center staff members are available for consultation with schools on: Setting up a school library on the Holocaust - Developing an educational program on a selected topic - Organizing seminars and conferences - Arranging ceremonies for Holocaust Remembrance Day Preparatory Courses for Trips to Eastern Europe The Raab Holocaust Education Center offers preparatory courses for those traveling to Eastern Europe. The Raab Center staff teaches these courses in conjunction with Yad Vashem. - A course for teachers who will be accompanying students traveling to Eastern Europe - A course for students attending the one-year program for foreign students at Michalah (this program includes an annual trip to Eastern Europe) - Courses for delegations traveling to Eastern Europe on heritage trips The courses for students and delegations focus on Jewish life before the Holocaust, with the aim of connecting youngsters to their rich past. The courses strengthen the youths' understanding of the intensity and vitality of the Jewish centers in Europe at their peak. In-Service Course for Teachers: Journey to Eastern Europe The Raab Holocaust Education Center offers an in-service teacher's course in Eastern Europe. The itinerary will include Poland, Lithuania, and Prague. Hundreds of teachers have already expressed interest. The program will focus on pre-Holocaust Jewish life: the yeshivas of Lithuania, Hassidic groups in Poland, and ideological trends between World War I and II. The journey will make the teachers informed escorts for future journeys by pupils. The instruction provided will transform the journey into a full-fledged in-service course with studies throughout the trip. Lecturers will include historians, rabbis, and literature teachers.