Holocaust Studies Program

During the Christmas holidays (2015/2016), Alexandra Cashin, Leader of Learning – Religious Education was awarded a scholarship to attend the annual Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Australian Educators.
The Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Australian Educators is a long term professional development program aimed at training a cadre of expert Holocaust educators who are active throughout Australia.
“The objective of the Gandel Holocaust Studies Program is to form an active and organised network of Australian educators who are committed to teaching about the Holocaust and its universal implication in an interdisciplinary and age-appropriate approach,” Alexandra explained.
“The Program begins with a prerequisite online course that provides historical background on pre-war Jewish history.
“Each participant is required to take this course prior to the teacher-training seminar at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem,” she said.
The second stage of the program is a challenging and intensive teacher training seminar at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. Participants participate in a variety of lectures, workshops, discussions and hear personal testimonies from Holocaust survivors during the program in Israel.
The Gandel Scholarship covers all aspects of the program including the professional development, airfares, accommodation and food and in return participants complete an educational project based on what they learnt and deliver it to their school community.
Alexandra said that since completing the program she has constructed a new unit for the Year 11 Study of Religion students on Antisemitism which they completed in Term 3 last year.