In this day and age, it's vital for us
to continue the stories of HOLOCAUST survivors
and make sure "never again" is a reality
our program
Developed under the guidance of Facing History and Ourselves, WEDU prepares participants to learn and teach their family stories.
WEDU is a powerful contribution to Holocaust education:
URGENCY: As the population of Holocaust survivors declines, their stories should not be lost with them. Now is the time to take responsibility for these stories.
PERSONAL: As a living link to our grandparents’ stories, we are in a special position to elevate the individual experience from the collective. We create a personal connection to history.
RELEVANCE TO ALL: The Holocaust serves as an instructive entry point for examining prejudice today. This program will make connections between historical events and issues of intolerance and persecution that remain with us.
SOCIAL ACTION: In a multicultural society, we all have a stake in challenging assumptions. This program will actively engage students to think about ways to confront intolerance and prejudice.
Our ability to share authentic stories allows us to connect with people from different backgrounds and levels of understanding. This creates dialogue and inspires students to explore their own family history as an entry point to understand world history.
WEDU IMPACT
Since 2010, WEDU has
Trained over 450 descendants of survivors
Visited hundreds of classrooms and community centers in the tri-state area and beyond
Impacted over 50,000 students of all ages in public and private schools
Classroom presentations include a 15-20 minute presentation followed by a Q&A for students and teachers to have a dialogue and connect history with current events, intolerance and injustice. We also often accommodate requests to speak to larger school assemblies and to a wide variety of audiences of different ages and backgrounds at community events, symposiums and more. Speakers are available for virtual and in-person visits.
““We cannot thank you all enough for coming into our school and sharing these important stories. We have been in awe of your strength to continue to share stories and photos that keep your family’s memories and histories alive... Without a doubt, this has been one of the most impactful teaching and learning experiences for our students and for us.”
Teacher, New Design High School
”Thanks so much for coordinating these visits! Our speakers were punctual and engaging and the pictures really helped students connect. I appreciate also how transparent you were about what to expect; everything went smoothly.”
Marisa Harris, Williamsburg Prep, Brooklyn, NY”