Each IHRA Member Country is committed to encouraging the study of the Holocaust in all its dimensions. However, teaching about this complex and sensitive topic appropriately – and adapting it to the context of differing national educational systems – requires specialist knowledge.
The newly-updated IHRA Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust were launched on 4 December 2019.
These Recommendations are crafted to help educators with fact-based and educationally sound techniques for teaching the complex and nuanced history of the Holocaust.
Education experts from 34 Member Countries worked together to create these Recommendations, which combine their years of specialist knowledge with the latest research in the field in an easy-to-use format.
These Recommendations will allow you to:
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Explain why teaching and learning about the Holocaust matters. The guidelines provide compelling reasons for covering the Holocaust in classroom curricula, so that students have a deeper understanding of the past and how it shapes the present.
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Find appropriate sources for your learning environment. Covering this subject in a way which is both sensitive and accurate can be difficult; these recommendations include practical guidance on how to make your choices.
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Bring curricula up to date with latest research. There’s a huge range of recent research in this field; we’ve made it easy to incorporate these findings into your classroom.
“The field of teaching and learning about the Holocaust has evolved over the past two decades. The world is always, of course, changing as well. We want to ensure the Recommendations remain relevant for educators who must navigate current challenges and seize new opportunities.”
— Jennifer Ciardelli, Project Co-Chair and Member of the IHRA's Educational Working Group
Excerpts from the IHRA Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust
- Executive Summary
- Why Teach About the Holocaust
- What to Teach about the Holocaust
- How to Teach about the Holocaust
