In the wake of Tree of Life, education must be a priority

Now that we’ve commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting and honored its victims, what else can we do?

On the domestic terrorism front, many of us applauded the Pennsylvania Legislature for recently granting $5 million to boost security at religious and other nonprofits through June 30. Depending on the results of annual budget negotiations, the funding may recur over the following four years.  

On a personal level, we’ve learned to be more vigilant and, at the same time, push aside fears of another mass shooting. Having grown up under the constant threat of terrorism in 1970s Israel, I’m a veteran of using mental blocking as a defense mechanism. Much as railroad neighbors try to tune out the noise of trains screeching by, I did my best to avoid thinking about roadside bombs detonating on my walk to my elementary school, AK-47-wielding terrorists storming my classroom, or city buses exploding mid-ride. 

My advice? Live your life. Support smart measures to increase security and keep an eye out; but live your life. The biggest victory we can hand terrorists is to let them terrorize us between attacks.

On the greater-lessons-learned front, many of us have tackled various issues related to the Tree of Life tragedy, from gun control to immigration. Regardless of our political affiliations, we tend to see opportunities for societal improvement.

My take? Let’s add education to our to-do list. Our job is not just to hand our children a better future but to give them the tools to continue making the world a better place in accordance with their vision.

Many adults equate the building of a better world with economic growth. But today’s youth often harbor different aspirations, such as creating a safer, healthier community. It’s our duty to teach our children how to gain fact-based insights and perspectives, stand up to racism, and do away with hate. 

This is why many educators wish to teach difficult topics such as bigotry, slavery and the Holocaust. But they lack the proper tools and pedagogical framework to gain the confidence to do it well. 

They know that effective teaching of difficult subjects can help their students become purposeful learners, critical thinkers, and agents of positive change. They realize such instruction can remind children why their education matters. Yet four out of 10 young Americans have limited to no knowledge of the Holocaust, according to a 2018 study by Schoen Consulting. They also possess little awareness of other genocides and human rights violations, including contemporary atrocities and transgressions.

To help educators introduce difficult topics to their students, we must create engaging instructional tools, lesson plans and class exercises; align this material with content areas and grade levels; match it to state and district standards; and make it readily available. We should also provide teachers with targeted training and support them through the school year.

 To help our commonwealth advance on this front, my Penn State colleagues and I recently created the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative. We’ve teamed up with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Act 70 Advisory Board. Passed by the state Legislature five years ago, Act 70 encourages schools to include instruction about the Holocaust, genocide and human-rights violations.

At this early stage of the initiative, we have more questions than answers. When we presented some of our work at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s summer seminars, we learned just as much as the participants. For instance, a discussion with one of the Advanced Teachers’ Institute attendees shed light on what it would take to connect deeply with a large number of Pennsylvania teachers.

Daniel Shaner, who teaches English at Pittsburgh’s J.E. Harrison Middle School, has devoted himself in recent years to Holocaust instruction. He’s served on the Act 70 Advisory Board and has attended several related seminars over the years. Most educators cannot make this kind of commitment. To reach them, he said, we must develop teaching tools and training that speak their language and address their classroom and career needs.

After talking with Shaner, we set up an Educator Advisory Council of 15 teachers from across Pennsylvania. Together with them, as well as the PDE and the Act 70 Advisory Board, we’re offering an all-expenses-paid seminar June 22-26 on Penn State’s main campus. 

This training will provide yearlong support to teacher leaders. We’ll work with them before, during and after the seminar to help them achieve their objectives.

As we ponder what’s next in the wake of the Tree of Life anniversary, let’s make sure we include education.

https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2019/11/05/Boaz-Dvir-Holocaust-bigotry-slavery-Tree-of-Life-education-training-tools/stories/201911050015?fbclid=IwAR2xHvv7RU2Cyo-JotrCYlScB5G4ezbrQyChdgJWyUpX3HOC0VYhRK_265s