Old hand holding child's hand
Teaching the Holocaust: Stories Seldom Told
Curated Series - The Jewish Education Project
1211 views
7 saves

The story of the Holocaust is too enormous, complicated and nuanced to be told in one piece. But it is made up of millions of individual stories of survivors and victims. Millions of stories we soon will not be able to hear first hand. 

In this collection you will find just a few of those individual stories, along with resources and guides for teaching them. This collection was curated by the Jewish Education Project in collaboration with Echoes & Reflections, USC Shoah Foundation, ADL, The National Library of Israel and Facing History and Ourselves.

*Please note- due to the nature of the subject matter, some resources contain graphic images or descriptions. Please be sure to look over any resource before using it with learners. 

For a broader look at how to teach this complex subject, click here for our Resources for Teaching the Holocaust collection. 


Image
The National Library of Israel logo
Image
Anti-Defamation League logo
Image
Facing History and Ourselves logo
Image
Iwitness logo
Image
Logo for Echoes and Reflections
Type
  • Guide
Topic
  • Holocaust
  • Jewish Holidays (Chagim)
  • History
Setting
  • After School and Beyond
  • Congregational Learning
  • Day Schools and Yeshivas
  • Family Engagement
  • Teen Engagement

Best for Elementary School

Blog · Video

Even in their darkest hour, the prisoners of the Nazi camps wrote songs of hope.

Grades:

3–7
Lesson · Video

Bear and Fred is the story of a friendship that will last forever—told by Fred’s best friend, his teddy bear.

Grades:

K–5
Website · Lesson

Explore Holocaust survivor Tommy Fritta's story through drawings made by his father for his 3rd birthday

Grades:

K–5
Lesson · Curriculum

Excerpts from the book and a lesson plan in response to the poem written by a child in Theresienstadt.

Grades:

3–5

Best for Middle-School

Video · Lesson · Game · Curriculum

Use the clues and complete the tasks to piece together Chana Senesh's story before time runs out!

Grades:

6–12
Blog · Images

David Friedmann used art to document his life before, during and after the Holocaust.

Grades:

3–7
Video · Website · Guide

The official Youtube channel of the Anne Frank House, featuring dozens of insightful and engaging videos.

Grades:

6–12
Video · Lesson

Discover Eva Heyman's story both through her diary and through a series of Instagram Stories

Grades:

8–12
Curriculum · Lesson

Lesson plans, clips and teaching guide around the movie Who will Write our History.

Grades:

6–12

Best for High-School

Curriculum · Video

Activities and survivor testimony to reflect the dynamic life of European Jewry before the Holocaust.

Grades:

3–12
Guide · Lesson · Curriculum · Video

What does the Holocaust teach about the impact of our choices today and contemporary Jewish identity?

Grades:

6–12
Online Activity

An interactive graphic novel about Marek Edelman, one of the leaders of the Warsaw ghetto Uprising.

Grades:

6–12
Text Study · Lesson

Explore the concept of moral courage through the story of the midwives of Egypt and the lives of Holocaust rescuers

Grades:

6–12
Podcast · Curriculum · Lesson

A seven-episode narrative podcast telling the story of Holocaust survivor Hana Dubova

Grades:

8–12
Curriculum · Lesson · Video

Explore the History of Babi Yar in the context of the war in Ukraine today

Grades:

8–12
Website

Interactive timeline and accompanying educational resources from Echoes and Reflections

Grades:

6–12
Video

This short documentary captures the spirit of Jewish life in Warsaw, Poland, before World War II.

Grades:

6–12
Lesson · Curriculum · Online Activity · Video · Website

Students engage with primary sources, an interactive map, and testimonies to help understand the effects of antisemitism.

Grades:

6–12
Podcast

A new podcast exploring the backstory of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play and Oscar-winning film The Diary of Anne Frank

Grades:

6–12