C. Commemorating Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day in in Middle and High School Classes Memory and Forgetting Goals 1. The students will explain the concept of “collective memory” and examine the narrative of Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Day. 2. The students will examine the tension between remembering and forgetting and clarify the nature of memory. 3. The students will discuss the lessons of the Holocaust as a foundation for developing a humanistic, pluralistic, and democratic worldview. 4. The students will design the educational surroundings leading up to Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day.

Lesson Plan 1. Invite the students to think about a meaningful personal memory and share it with the student sitting next to them (Chevruta pair study). After the pairs of students share their memories, the class as a whole will hear some of the stories. Ask what characterizes memory. Why do you think you remembered this particular incident or event? Has your memory of the incident changed over the years? During the discussion we touch on positive and negative memories. You can gently suggest that memory is here in the present and shapes the future. Through memory we build our perception of reality around us. Memory can change over the years and can be explained or understood in different ways. 2. Collective memory: We explain that some events are engraved in the memories of all of us even though we weren’t part of them ourselves. An example is the Exodus from Egypt: “In every generation we should see ourselves as if we had come out of Egypt.” Jewish tradition teaches that we were all present on Mt. Sinai and received the Torah. Ask the students what collective memories are part of them. Some questions you may wish to raise during the discussion: For what purpose do we remember? What narrative is built by memory? The students may well mention difficult memories such as the Holocaust, 9/11, and so forth. It is worth asking why these particular events are ingrained in our memory. Do we also remember happy events? How does internalizing painful memories influence the way we tell our own story as a people?

3. Invite the students to divide into pairs and read the information (in Appendix 1) about the decision on which day Israel would mark Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day (it is worth making sure the students understand the distinction between the Israeli remembrance day, which falls after Passover, and international Holocaust Remembrance Day, which falls on January 27). After reading the information, ask the students: - Why did people in Israel want to create a connection between the memory of the Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising? - How do you feel about the comparison between the destruction of the Temple and the Holocaust as a modern story of destruction? What do you think about this comparison? - Imagine that you are a member of the committee that had to decide which date should be set aside for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. Discuss the proposals described in the Information Desk below. Write down the advantages and disadvantages of each proposal and reach your own decision.

Information Desk A debate took place in Israel about which date to set aside for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. The discussion focused mainly on the question of the most appropriate date to symbolize the Holocaust period. At the time this debate took place, the emphasis in Israel was on praising the ethos of the fighting Jew who stood up to the Nazis. Accordingly, it was decided that the anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising should be marked as Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. However, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising began on April 19, 1943 (the 14th of Nissan in the Hebrew calendar) –The day before Passover, which was not a suitable date for a day of national remembrance. In 1951, it was finally decided to set aside the 27th of Nissan as Remembrance Day – six days after the end of Passover and a week before the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers. Only decades later, the atmosphere in Israel changed and there was a greater willingness to accept that the “heroes” of the Holocaust also included Jews who suffered the horrors of the war and survived despite the almost impossible circumstances. The religious symbolism of this date is due to the fact that it falls during the Counting of the Omer – a period of mourning in Jewish tradition. Its national symbolism in the State of Israel is due to the fact that it falls eight days before Israel’s Independence Day, thereby emphasizing the transformation of the Jewish people “from Holocaust to revival.” In a separate decision, Israel’s Chief Rabbinate decided to set aside the 10th of Tevet as a “General Kaddish Day” for Jews whose date of death is unknown, and particularly for victims of the Holocaust. Some Israelis felt that this decision created an alternative date for commemorating the Holocaust alongside the 27th of Nissan. The choice of the 10th of Tevet could also be seen as a contrast to the Israeli ethos of emphasizing those who fought against the Nazis, as reflected in the choice of the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The Chief Rabbinate had published its decision two years earlier (in 1949) due to its perception of the Holocaust as a modern destruction analogous to the

destruction of the Temple. The Chief Rabbinate was also reluctant to accept the 27th of Nissan as a remembrance day, since some religious opinions state that mourning is not permitted during the month of Nissan. 4. Israelis are taught from an early age that it is vital “to remember and not to forget.” Memory is part of us – part of our language, education, and identity, to the point that we almost take it for granted. We all know that we are expected to remember. We should remember – but why? What is the role of collective memory in shaping identity? How essential is memory to us? What are its advantages and disadvantages? Divide the students into two groups. Group A will support remembering and Group B will support forgetting. Each group will read the two attached texts and answer the questions (see Appendix 2). 5. To conclude, read together the text written by Berl Katznelson (included in Appendix 2). Explain that we face a constant tension between remembering and forgetting. We need to look for a balance that will enable us to move forward to the future without constantly dwelling on the past. At the same time, we must remember where we came from so that we can live a life of values and morals in the present and the future. 6. After studying memory and forgetting and learning that the delicate balance between the two is vital for culture and society, we move on to discussing in greater depth why it is important to remember the Holocaust. We present some statements (Appendix 3) that represent various lessons and themes that could be learned from the Holocaust. We invite the students to choose one statement they agree with and one they disagree with. In a class discussion, the students share their thoughts. We sum up: memory can play an important role in shaping and building a democratic and humane society in the present and in the future. 7. We suggest that the students discuss the idea of designing the educational environment for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. What themes should be included? What feelings and messages are we trying to convey? The students divide up into Chevrutot (study pairs). Each Chevruta discusses Ms. Klau’s initiative and considers whether it would be appropriate to decorate the school with butterflies in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. What themes could the butterflies convey? To what extent are these themes different from the usual themes we associate with Holocaust Remembrance Day? (See Appendix 4).

Appendix 1 Why Was the 27th of Nissan Chosen for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day? Information Desk A debate took place in Israel about which date to set aside for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. The discussion focused mainly on the question of the most appropriate date to symbolize the Holocaust period. At the time this debate took place, the emphasis in Israel was on praising the ethos of the fighting Jew who stood up to the Nazis. Accordingly, it was decided that the anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising should be marked as Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. However, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising began on April 19, 1943 (the 14th of Nissan in the Hebrew calendar) –the day before Passover which was not a suitable date for a day of national remembrance. In 1951, it was finally decided to set aside the 27th of Nissan as Remembrance Day – six days after the end of Passover and a week before the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers. Only decades later, the atmosphere in Israel changed and there was a greater willingness to accept that the “heroes” of the Holocaust also included Jews who suffered the horrors of the war and survived despite the almost impossible circumstances. The religious symbolism of this date is due to the fact that it falls during the Counting of the Omer – a period of mourning in Jewish tradition. Its national symbolism in the State of Israel is due to the fact that it falls eight days before Israel’s Independence Day, thereby emphasizing the transformation of the Jewish people “from Holocaust to revival.” In a separate decision, Israel’s Chief Rabbinate decided to set aside the 10th of Tevet as a “General Kaddish Day” for Jews whose date of death is unknown, and particularly for victims of the Holocaust. Some Israelis felt that this decision created an alternative date for commemorating the Holocaust alongside the 27th of Nissan. The choice of the 10th of Tevet could also be seen as a contrast to the Israeli ethos of emphasizing those who fought against the Nazis, as reflected in the choice of the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The Chief Rabbinate had published its decision two years earlier (in 1949) due to its perception of the Holocaust as a modern destruction analogous to the destruction of the Temple. The Chief Rabbinate was also reluctant to accept the 27th of Nissan as a remembrance day, since some religious opinions state that mourning is not permitted during the month of Nissan.

Questions for discussion and thought 1. Why did people in Israel want to create a connection between the memory of the Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising? 2. What do you think about the comparison between the destruction of the Temple and the Holocaust as a modern story of destruction? 3. Imagine that you are a member of the committee that had to decide which date should be set aside for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. Discuss the proposals described in the Information Desk below. Write down the advantages and disadvantages of each proposal and reach your own decision.

Appendix 2 Memory and Forgetting In Favor of Memory “Judaism presents the parent with a vital task of the first order: to tell their child about the history of their people…” “…They must be sure to imbue the child with memories that will accompany them all their lives. The heritage they give their child is a message that is centuries old: the recognition that their history began with Abraham.” (David Hartman, “Memory and Values”) | David Hartman (1931-2013) was born in New York and moved to Israel in 1971. A Jewish leader, philosopher, and educator, he founded the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. “Three hundred years ago, a ship called the Mayflower set sail to the New World. […] This was a great event in the history of England and America. But I would like to know: Is there a single Englishman who knows the exact date and hour of the Mayflower’s launch? How much do American children — or grownups — know about this historic trip? Do they know how many people were in the boat? […] What they ate? “More than 3,300 years before the Mayflower set sail, the Jews left Egypt. Any Jewish child, whether in America or Russia, Yemen or Germany, knows that his forefathers left Egypt at dawn on the 15th of Nisan. […] They ate matzot […] and Jews worldwide still eat matzah for seven days from the 15th of Nisan. They retell the story of the Exodus, concluding with the fervent wish Next Year in Jerusalem.” (David Ben Gurion, from a speech in 1947 to the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on Palestine) | David Ben Gurion (1886-1973) was a Zionist leader who played a crucial role in the struggle to establish a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. He served as Israel’s first prime minister and continued to lead the young state for many years.

Questions for discussion and thought 1. Why should we remember? 2. How do we inculcate memory? 3. How do we decide what is the proper memory? “Man is endowed with two faculties: memory and forgetting. We cannot live without both. Were only memory to exist, then we would be crushed beneath its burden and would become slaves to our memories, to our ancestors. Our physiognomy would then be a mere copy of preceding generations. And were we ruled entirely by forgetting, what place would there be for culture, science, selfconsciousness, and spiritual life? Archconservatism tries to deprive us of our faculty of forgetting,

and pseudorevolutionism regards each remembrance of the past as the enemy. But had humanity not preserved the memory of its great achievements, noble aspirations, periods of flowering, heroic efforts, and strivings for liberation, then no revolutionary movement would have been possible. The human race would have stagnated in eternal poverty, ignorance, and slavery.” (Berl Katznelson, “Faithful Sources,” Collected Works of Berl Katznelson, Vol. 6, Tel Aviv: Mapai Publishers, 5707) | Berl Katznelson (1887-1944) was one of the leading intellectuals of the Labor Zionist movement, which played a key role in establishing the State of Israel. Katznelson helped establish many of the institutions of the young state and was an advocate of peaceful coexistence with the Arab inhabitants of the country.

Memory and Forgetting In favor of forgetting “In one of the stories of Sinbad the Sailor, an old man asks a young man to help him cross the river. The young man places the old man on his shoulders, crosses the water, and reaches the other bank. But as they climb onto the bank, the old man does not let go of the youth, but instead tightens his hold on his neck and continues to ride on him as he pleases. If you have chosen to place Judaism and Zionism on your shoulders – what help can I be to you? You have chosen your own fate. Cast off Zionism and Judaism and they will no longer choke you.” (Yonatan Ratosh, “Conversation with Ehud Ben Ezer,” in: Unease in Zion, Am Oved Publishers, 1986) | Yonatan Ratosh (1908-1981) was the pen name of Uriel Shelah, a poet and translator. Ratosh is best known as founder of the “Canaanite” movement in literature and politics, which advocated a complete break with the Jewish past and a common future for the entire Near East. ”I can see no greater danger to the future of the State of Israel than the fact that the Holocaust has been systematically and forcefully placed in the consciousness of the entire Israeli public. For the first time I understand the gravity of our actions when, over decades, we again and again sent every single child in Israel to visit Yad Vashem. What did we want these young children to do with this experience? In a narrow-minded and even closed-hearted way, we recited the mantra ‘remember!’ – without explaining what we meant. Remember for what purpose? What is the child supposed to do with these memories? For many, the pictures of horror may be interpreted as a call to hatred. ‘Remember’ may be interpreted as a demand for protracted and blind hate. We must forget. I can today see no more important political and educational task for the nation’s leaders than to position themselves alongside the living, to devote themselves to building our future – and not to busy themselves constantly with the symbols, ceremonies, and lessons of the Holocaust. They should uproot the control of the historical ‘remember’ over our lives.” (Yehuda Elkana, “In Favor of Forgetting,” Ha’aretz, March 2, 1988) | Yehuda Elkana (1934-2012) was a historian and philosopher of science. Born in Yugoslavia, he was deported to Auschwitz with his family in 1944 but managed to survive and immigrated to Israel in 1948.

Questions for discussion and thought 1. Why should we forget? 2. What is the danger of collective memory? 3. How does forgetting contribute to the future of society? “Man is endowed with two faculties: memory and forgetting. We cannot live without both. Were only memory to exist, then we would be crushed beneath its burden and would become slaves to our memories, to our ancestors. Our physiognomy would then be a mere copy of preceding generations. And were we ruled entirely by forgetting, what place would there be for culture, science, self-consciousness, and spiritual life? Archconservatism tries to deprive us of our faculty of forgetting, and pseudorevolutionism regards each remembrance of the past as the enemy. But had humanity not preserved the memory of its great achievements, noble aspirations, periods of flowering, heroic efforts, and strivings for liberation, then no revolutionary movement would have been possible. The human race would have stagnated in eternal poverty, ignorance, and slavery.” (Berl Katznelson, “Faithful Sources,” Collected Works of Berl Katznelson, Vol. 6, Tel Aviv: Mapai Publishers, 5707) | Berl Katznelson (1887-1944) was one of the leading intellectuals of the Labor Zionist movement, which played a key role in establishing the State of Israel. Katznelson helped establish many of the institutions of the young state and was an advocate of peaceful coexistence with the Arab inhabitants of the country.

Appendix 3

Tell Your Children… “The most important lesson of the Holocaust is the fact that it happened.” “Israel is the safest place for Jews to live.” “We must be more sensitive to the rights of minorities around the world.” “Every person should see themselves as if they were in Auschwitz.” “Our history is one of destruction. Over the centuries people have tried to harm and annihilate us.” “After the Holocaust we are no longer bound by moral norms. The only moral standard is survival at any price.” “The Holocaust shows what awaits a people that lives in exile without its own state.” “We should forget the Holocaust and build ourselves a memory free of past traumas.” “We must be sensitive to the rights of minorities in our own country.” “It’s good that the Jews are dispersed in various different countries.” “The State of Israel is responsible for the wellbeing of Diaspora Jews.” “Israel should absorb Jewish immigrants.” “We should do everything we can to build a democratic and egalitarian society.” “We must remember that all humans were created in God’s image.” “We must avoid stereotypes and prejudice and work to eradicate them.”

Appendix 4 Decorating the school for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day Imagine that you are part of a committee responsible for “decorating” your school for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. Plan your work according to the following stages: A. Describe the way your school is usually decorated for Holocaust Remembrance Day:

B. What feelings and messages does this convey?

Read about Ms. Sue Klau’s initiative. Maybe you could draw inspiration from this and decorate the school for Holocaust Remembrance Day using the theme of butterflies? Would this be fitting décor? What themes could the butterflies convey? To what extent are these themes different from the usual themes we associate with this day? One and a half million Holocaust victims were children who had not even begun to realize their hopes and dreams, to grow up, and to begin their own lives as adults. In their memory, Ms. Susan Klau of Puerto Rico initiated a project that invites children to make butterflies, inspired by Pavel Friedmann’s poem “The Butterfly.” The project aims to collect one and a half million butterflies in order to remember all the children whose lives were so cruelly ended. C. Decide how you want to decorate the school for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day