FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES

CANADA
VISIT US AT WWW.FACINGHISTORY.ORG/CANADA OR CONTACT US AT 416-901-3831

Founded in 1976, Facing History and Ourselves is an international educa-

tional and professional development organization whose mission is to
engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, preju-
dice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more
PLAY AND FILM FEATURED
humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development and AT SPRING EVENTS
lessons of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the On March 28th, Facing History and
essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in Ourselves Canada partnered with the
their own lives. Miles Nadal JCC and the Polish-
Jewish Heritage Foundation to bring
Facing History and Ourselves has nine offices in the U.S. and London, and Life in a Jar, a play about Polish-
educational partnerships in a growing number of countries, including Catholic rescuer Irena Sendler, to
Northern Ireland, Israel, Rwanda and South Africa. We engage more than Toronto.
1.8 million students annually through our global network of 25,000 educa- At a workshop on April 7th, co-spon-
tors and reach the public through community events and extensive online sored with the Toronto Jewish Film
resources. Festival, teachers viewed the film
Blessed is the Match: The Life and
Facing History began our work with teachers in Canada in 1981. Since Death of Hannah Senesh a n d
then, hundreds of teachers have attended Facing History’s seminars and received resources developed by
workshops, and we look forward to reaching many more in the years to Facing History to accompany the film.
come. To meet this increasing demand, we are pleased to announce the Senesh was a young diarist and
establishment of Facing History and Ourselves Canada, which will include a poet who was captured and exe-
resource center for teachers, community members and students. For more cuted by the Nazis in 1944
information contact Leora Schaefer, program director at after joining a rescue mission
of Jewish paratroopers from
leora_schaefer@facing.org or 416-901-3831.
Palestine who were attempting
to rescue Hungarian Jews at the
end of WWII.
SPOTLIGHT:
One Educator Reflects
“Over 25 years ago I was a young history
teacher struggling to teach the horrific history
“In every school I visit, and at
of twentieth century genocide. Facing History
every age level, kids are hungry
helped me . . . by creating a context wherein
middle and secondary students can simultane- for knowledge about the darkest
ously examine issues in their own lives and his- moments in human history. . . .
torical case studies such as the Holocaust or Facing History offers teachers and
the Armenian genocide to explore the role of perpetrator, victim, bystander, rescuer, students an invaluable framework
resister and opportunist. Facing History has a profound understanding of adolescent for the task, one that directly con-
development and how young people can wrestle with difficult history to reflect on their nects the past with the ethical
own experiences and become active citizens in democratic countries. The network of
questions and challenges of the
outstanding scholars and educators who contribute to Facing History has nourished
present.”
me as a classroom teacher, as a curriculum coordinator and as a university course
director.”
Karen Levine, author of Hana’s
Myra Novogrodsky, co-chair of the Ontario Facing History Advisory Council and Suitcase and CBC producer
course director, York University Faculty of Education
 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
SPOTLIGHT:
Across Canada, teachers are
embracing the methodology and
UPCOMING EVENTS
professional support that Facing
Summer Seminar
History provides, and integrating
for Ontario Educators
the resources into their classrooms.
August 11-15, 2008
Facing History is pleased to announce that the Ontario
Ministry of Education recently accepted a proposal from the
Teacher Workshop-
Toronto District School Board to design and deliver a
locally-developed full course (110 hours) on twentieth Crimes Against Humanity and
century genocide. Facing History’s approach will inform Civilization: The Genocide of the
the course, and our resources will be key components. Armenians
October 26, 2008
Since the inception of Facing History’s work in Ontario in
1981, we’ve offered workshops for the former Toronto Holocaust Education
Board of Education, Thames Valley District School Board, Week Programming
Kitchener-Waterloo (both the Catholic and public school November 2008
boards), and Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. In
addition, we’ve done extensive work with faculties of edu- For more information about these and
other upcoming events , go to
cation at York University, Ontario Institute of Studies in www.facinghistory.org/canada
Education-University of Toronto, and Althouse College- or call 416-901-3831.
University of Western Ontario.

There has also been demand for the program in other

regions of Canada, including a partnership with the “Facing History engages us in a
British Columbia Teacher’s Federation and workshops for
teachers in Winnipeg. unique way with some of the
most difficult and controversial
AN EVENING OF POETRY issues of our time. It moves us
AND DISCUSSION
beyond historical atrocities and
Jan Haskings-Winner, an instructor
at OISE/UT and curriculum leader creates a space for conversation
for the Toronto District School
Board, attended the Facing History and dialogue about current
seminar at OISE-University of
events. This is an outstanding
Toronto last summer. At one of the
seminar’s sessions, poets Bernadette Kabango from Rwanda resource for teachers and
and Holocaust survivor Donia Bumenthal Clenman
(pictured above) shared their poetry and discussed how teacher educators who look for
their work relates to the themes of legacy and memory.
Thirty-five teachers from Jewish, public, and Catholic appropriate approaches for
schools attended the seminar.
teaching about current injus-
Haskings-Winner called the seminar “one of the highlights
of my career” and said the poetry session “provided an tices in the world.”
opportunity for reflection on the historical events and how
people do move forward, which proved very uplifting. Goli Rezai-Rashti, associate professor,
[Each poet] gave me hope that even in the most tragic of Faculty of Education, University of Western
circumstances, the human spirit cannot be trampled.” Ontario