On 27-31 October an international seminar on the Holocaust, human rights and social justice was held for teachers in Vilnius.
32 Lithuanian teachers participated in the seminar. Lectures were given and workshops were organized by lecturers from Lithuania and the United States. During the seminar, a meeting was arranged with Assia Raberman, a Holocaust survivor, and Nobuki Sugihara, son of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese consul who worked in Lithuania. The participants of the seminar visited the Holocaust exposition at the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, visited the Paneriai Memorial, got acquainted with the history of Jewish Vilnius in the Old Town of Vilnius and visited the former ghetto territory.
The objectives of the workshop were as follows: to raise teachers’ awareness of the impact of stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination on individuals and the society as a whole; to educate teachers about Jewish life before and after the Holocaust and to encourage teachers to explore new teaching approaches that develop pupils’ empathy and understanding.
The seminar was organized by the Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) from the United States in cooperation with the International Commission, the Lithuanian Jewish Community and VGSJM.
