From 16 to 20 June, a seminar for Lithuanian teachers and education specialists was held at the premises of the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The seminar, titled “Learning from the Past – Acting for the Future. Teaching about the Holocaust and human rights violations”, is an annual event for the Lithuanian education community. This intensive five-day seminar included lectures, meetings with third-generation Holocaust survivors, methodological workshops, group work, and themed excursions in Vilnius and at the Paneriai Memorial. As the seminar took place in the Lithuanian Jewish community, one evening was devoted to learning about Jewish food and music. The seminar organiser, the TOLI Institute, runs seminars for teachers with the aim of inspiring them to initiate small projects on the history of Lithuanian Jews and the Holocaust in their own schools and implement these projects with their students. As a result, participants gained practical methods, renewed awareness, and motivation to foster historical understanding and tolerance in their classrooms.
Lectures were delivered by experts from the United States, Germany, and Lithuania. Faina Kukliansky, Chairperson of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, shared her family’s story of surviving the Holocaust. Silvia Foti, a guest from the USA, spoke about her grandfather, Jonas Noreika.
Oana Bajka, Director of Educational Programmes at the TOLI Institute, moderated the seminar. She was assisted by Ingrida Vilkienė, Coordinator of Educational Programmes at the Secretariat of the International Commission.
TOLI Institute (New York) organized the seminar in cooperation with the Secretariat of the International Commission and the Lithuanian Jewish Community. Sponsorship was provided by the Kazickas Family Foundation and the Goodwill Foundation.
