‘Making History Together’ is our unique virtual programme for young learners. The programme explores; the 700 year history of the Jews of Belarus, the changing borders of Eastern Europe, the different ruling empires and how that impacted on the Jewish people caught up in these changing political landscapes, changing identities, the rise of antisemitism, the growth of Zionism and what happened to the Jews in the Soviet Union in the Holocaust, the Jewish partisans and Jews who tunneled to freedom.
The programme offers a superb foundation and deeper understanding of what led to the Holocaust and the Final Solution, in a safe and appropriate way designed for young learners. The programme is also a course on character development and leaves participants feeling equipped to make a positive difference in the world as they grow and mature. Participants are giving it a huge thumbs up:
‘Now that I have done the Making History Together programme – I am more aware about how truth can be hidden and controlled and how important that can be. I am more aware of the roles people can play when there is suffering. At school I’ve been re-evaluating how people are acting, allowing myself to be more aware of places where people are unkind to one another. And I am feeling more power now, in knowing what behaviour doesn’t feel acceptable to me, wherever I see it. This programme is about creating the kind of future we want to make together.’
Ori, programme participant 2022
Throughout this year we wrote and designed the ‘Making History Together’ travelling exhibitions. The first is now completed, was launched in November and is available to be used in schools, synagogues and public spaces in the UK. Click here to read about the launch of the exhibition. The exhibition can be seen on January 8th at Finchley Reform Synagogue from 14.30 – 18.30 – click here to register (free event).
The second exhibition in Russian will be sent to Belarus in 2023. In Belarus, currently there is no official Holocaust education, even though 800,000 Belarusian Jews were murdered between 1941 and 1944. This is vitally important history that has remained in the shadows for too long and through our programme we are bringing it into focus. We are delighted that this year we had a programme participant join us from the USA and the plan is to bring more people together across borders as the programme grows.
An ideal gift
This programme is an ideal bar mitzvah or birthday gift to give a 13 or 14 year old. As the programme materials come in the post with sessions online this is a great programme for parents to do with their children so that they can go on the journey together. Or – why not consider it for the grandparents to do with their grandchildren, which has so many opportunities to talk about the past with the added value of hearing and discussing personal memories.
Click here to find out how this programme came about and how it is bringing Holocaust learning to Belarus, a country that lost almost a million Jewish people between 1941 and 1944. For more information about the programme click here.
