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July 12, 2010: Executive Vice President, Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, Inc., Hollywood, Florida
Rositta E. Kenigsberg, Hollywood, Florida
We are most grateful to you and to the Arnold Liebster Foundation for once again sending us materials for us to distribute at our Annual Teacher Institute on Holocaust Education. This year, we had teachers from grades K – 12 who participated in our week-long institute.
It is our goal to provide the teachers with a variety of resources, information, materials, etc. so that they can take it back to their students. We are most interested in sharing with them the full gamut of what took place during the Holocaust. Your materials and information about the Nazi persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses are an important part of what needs to be taught.
We thank you for making sure that we receive these materials each year. We look forward to working with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Rositta E. Kenigsberg
Executive Vice President
Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, Inc.
2031 Harrison Street
Hollywood, Florida 33020
July 12, 2010
June 18, 2010: Instructional Technology Facilitator, Buncombe County Schools, Asheville, North Carolina
Phoebe Penley, Asheville, North Carolina
It is a privilege to work with Diana Zientek in the facilitation of using Skype to conference with Simone Arnold-Liebster in France. My involvement in this process occurs after Diana delivers her Holocaust presentation, Persecution and Non-Violent Resistance of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Nazi Era, to students in schools in the Buncombe County district. My role is to provide the technical support to setup and facilitate the Skype conference.
Diana has shared with me the curriculum materials used in the presentation. The rich content and quality of the materials is outstanding. Through Simone’s story of the persecution suffered as a Jehovah’s Witness, students receive an invaluable lesson that throughout history, numerous groups and individuals were and continue to be persecuted due to their religious beliefs or practices.Our students have a rare opportunity to explore the importance of an
individual’s personal integrity, holding true to one’s convictions and beliefs, and
how that choice impacts others, as Simone’s story exudes.
The culminating Skype conference with Simone provides the first person narrative that is engaging and meaningful for our students! As they sit in an auditorium, classroom or media center, and interact with a living Holocaust survivor in France, their captivation is evident on their faces as they participate in an experience that makes a lasting impression on their minds.
I am honored to have this role in the delivery of Simone’s story and look forward to working with Diana and the Arnold Liebster Foundation in the future.
Sincerely,
Phoebe Penley
Instructional Technology Facilitator
Buncombe County Schools
175 Bingham Road
Asheville, North Carolina 28806
June 18, 2010
LeAnna Earls Swing, Asheville, North Carolina
To Whom It May Concern:
I recently participated in my first web conference with Simone Arnold-Liebster. I want to thank Simone and the Arnold-Liebster Foundation for providing my students and over 350 sixth graders at my school with such an extraordinary opportunity.
As a National Board Certified teacher of Social Studies, I feel strongly that teaching students about the Nazi persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a uniquely valuable and appropriate topic. Not only does this topic meet both national and state curriculum standards, but it meets social and emotional needs of our students. Adolescence is the ideal time to share the lessons of standing up for one’s convictions and for human rights. At a time in their lives when there are many pressures to conform, it is important to give students the tools to strengthen their own conscience and critical thinking skills. Learning of Simone’s stand against the Nazi lion is the perfect vehicle for these ideas — ideas that help us grow thoughtful, healthy, and productive citizens of the world.
A particularly valuable aspect of my students’ experience with the Arnold-Liebster Foundation was the conference with Simone through Skype. After reading excerpts from her book and using curriculum materials concerning core values, my students were able to formulate meaningful questions for Simone while also familiarizing themselves with technology. This event was a wonderful capstone to a thematic unit on the Holocaust and human behavior that I and my colleagues have used and developed over the years.
On behalf of the sixth grade social studies faculty, I thank you again for taking the time to share this experience with our students. I hope that we have the opportunity to offer this experience to our students in the future.
Sincerely,
LeAnna Earls Swing
Clyde A. Erwin Middle School
20 Erwin Hills Road
Asheville, North Carolina 28806
June 10, 2010
Susan Bachmeier, Cherryville, North Carolina
To Whom It May Concern:
On May 27, 2010 my North Carolina Holocaust class had the wonderful privilege to Skype with Simone Arnold-Liebster who was in France. I have to admit at first I had some reservations about the indoctrination aspect of having my students hearing a Jehovah Witness testimony, but in March I was at a NCCAT teacher’s conference where we Skyped with Simone. I realized then my own stereotyping of Jehovah’s Witnesses was unfair and prejudicial. I had not on any previous occasion worried about the religious indoctrination of hearing the testimonies of Jews, Romas, or Catholic Poles involved in the Holocaust. It is sad to think that those of us who are charged with teaching intolerance are still learning the lessons ourselves.
Simone’s testimony proved to be a fantastic learning experience for my students. In reading her story as a class and then being able to interact with follow up questions proved a good lesson in morality. Being able to resist evil and standing up courageously for what one believes is an important lesson in integrity. Simone, as a young girl, lived this message, and in her 80s, Simone is still delivering this lesson to the next generation. Her faith is central to her as an individual, but the emphasis and focus of her testimony is to stand firm in one’s convictions. This is such an important lesson and few are able to deliver it with such kindness and personal fortitude as Simone. My students were spellbound hearing her recount having to go two years in boarding school without talking! Which of my students could do that? After hearing Simone’s stories my students were talking about her experiences and other teachers were telling me how touched these students were by her testimony.
I would like to thank Simone and the Arnold Liebster Foundation for the teaching materials, DVDs, and books that have enhanced my curriculum, all free of cost to me! I would also like to thank Simone for her willingness to give freely and generously of her time to interact with students around the world. Hearing the testimony of a Holocaust survivor in addition to the lessons in globalization is a privileged learning encounter I’m sure my students will remember for the rest of their lives.
Sincerely,
Susan Bachmeier
Social Studies
Cherryville High School
313 Ridge Avenue
Cherryville, NC 28021
June 3, 2010
Amy Sanders, Richmond, Virginia
Dear Ms. Liebster,
On behalf of my seventh grade students at Manchester Middle School, I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions about your experiences during the Holocaust. I am so grateful for the opportunity my students had to speak with you, a Jehovah’s Witness survivor.
After reading parts of your autobiography, Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe, my seventh grade students were inspired. They also had many questions. The experience of interviewing you through the Skype videoconference on April 2 at the Virginia Holocaust Museum was invaluable.
It is not often that students are able to spend meaningful time speaking with, and learning from, a Holocaust survivor. Your perspective opened their eyes to the importance of tolerance and to standing by the courage of their convictions.
As a teacher, I appreciate the resources available on your website, especially the primary documents, displays, and artifacts. The excerpts from survivor testimony, the study guides, and the lesson plans are of great educational use.
Your book, Facing the Lion, puts a human face on the overwhelming statistics of the Holocaust. Speaking with you, and learning from your experiences, breathes spirit and meaning into our unit of study. Your voice brings the lessons of the Holocaust into our everyday lives, and I am so grateful for your generosity and compassion.
Sincerely,
Amy Sanders, Teacher
Manchester Middle School
7401 Hull Street Road
Richmond, Virginia 23235
May 13, 2010
Teresa Bechen, Davenport, Iowa
I am writing this letter of reference for the Arnold-Liebster Foundation as a means to promote the program shared at McKinley Elementary School, Davenport, IA with all children across our nation because of the historical and ethical values that are evident in this program.
As educators, we are always on a quest to bring character building experiences to our students. Simone’s story in book form and in person is extremely personal and bears the qualities of outstanding character development in several areas: responsibility, caring, perseverance, common sense, initiative and effort as she defended the right to practice one’s faith in freedom and to treat others with respect and dignity no matter the personal cost. Simone’s story promotes honoring one’s parents, forgiveness and the overarching quality of loving people even when they do not behave lovingly toward us.
This is a timeless story and an inspiration to students and adults. We are reminded of the courage of those who have faced many trials and survived still believing we can learn to live in peace with one another through understanding, not control. We have been especially fortunate to be able to share Simone’s story the past two years and offer her book for check out to both our students and parents.
Our world continues to be a place of unrest because of cultural and religious misunderstandings. Providing opportunities like this for our children allows for us to become more culturally competent when interacting with people of other beliefs, and to speak openly about how we are similar and how we are different without becoming angry. Thank you for your efforts in promoting a program of peace.
Teresa Bechen
Principal
McKinley Elementary School
Davenport Community School District
1716 Kenwood Avenue
Davenport, Iowa 52803
May 7, 2010
Joseph Macksey, Davenport, Iowa
As an educator, we are made constantly aware of the sacred trust we hold in educating our children. Rarely do we get an opportunity to hear from those who have lived during a particular time in history. Mrs. Liebster’s testimony, both in Facing the Lion and her visit with the children via Skype, remind us that even in the deepest of despair, there is hope. The children gained important insight on what it is to stick to one’s beliefs, and the power of choice.
Our common humanity is bettered by people like Mrs. Liebster, who have shared her faith in God and hope for a better tomorrow.
Joseph Macksey
Teacher Librarian
McKinley Elementary School
Davenport Community School District
1716 Kenwood Avenue
Davenport, Iowa 52803
May 7, 2010
Susie Rydder, Davenport, Iowa
Currently, I am the Talented and Gifted (TAG) teacher for two public elementary schools in Iowa. I am fortunate to be allowed the freedom to select areas of study and the way in which I “teach” the subject matter. I chose to work with 5th grade students on the subject of the Holocaust. I was supported by my principal, especially because our district is focusing on anti-bullying strategies. Learning to recognize and counter peer pressure that might undermine our values and understanding the importance of adhering to one’s own conscience and taking a stand for what we know is right is what we hope our students can achieve. This is the philosophy of the Arnold-Liebster Foundation.
My TAG students read and discussed several books about the Holocaust. Many read Simone Liebster’s book Facing the Lion. They developed questions to pose to Mrs. Liebster and were able to do so through a video conference. My students had a basic understanding of the Holocaust but it became very personal and meaningful once they “met” Simone. It was very moving to be able to see her and listen to her responses to their questions.
Susie Rydder
McKinley Elementary School
Davenport Community School District
1716 Kenwood Avenue
Davenport, Iowa 52803
May 6, 2010
Jason Smelski, Clearwater, Florida
I’d like to, on behalf of all of my students, thank you and offer my appreciation for the video conference and presentation. I saw the presentation last year, as another teacher hosted the Stand Firm group. I was thrilled when they agreed to come visit my 6th and 7th grade students.
I am a teacher of both Language Arts and History at a private school. I have tried to bridge the gap between the emotion in the literature we read, the facts and figures of the history we read, and the all too real world today’s students find themselves in. The Holocaust can be a difficult, emotionally challenging, and at times distant topic for children.
Often students are told about the tragedies that befell the Jewish people, and this is a story that needs to be told. However, the experiences of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their persecution can be overshadowed or just skimmed over. I liked being able to teach the Holocaust and World War II from a fresh perspective.
The 7th graders had the unique opportunity to use technology to reach out to a Holocaust survivor. When I told the 7th grade class that we would be talking to someone in France in real-time via the internet they were thrilled. The video conference went very well, the students were engaged, excited, and smiling the entire time. They left the room talking about it and days later they are asking to video conference with someone else.
Thank you for enriching my lessons and the minds of my 6th and 7th grade students. I recommend that more students use the resources technology has to offer to tap into resources that literature and history have to offer.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jason Smelski
6th and 7th Grade Language Arts & History
Plato Academy Charter School
401 S. Old Coachman Rd.
Clearwater, FL 33765
April 20, 2010
Carrie Moden, Fort Wayne, Indiana
In November, 2009, my English class was reading the book Night by Elie Wiesel. The students really enjoyed the book. After reading the book, I invited a friend, who is very knowledgeable about Jehovah Witnesses and the Holocaust, to talk to my classes. Her name is Kristi Keller.
Kristi’s presentation was very good. She had a lot of information. She kept the students’ attention and after the presentation, there were many questions asked on both parts, the students and the presenter. The information that she shared was educational and informative. I know that it made the students think about being courageous on taking a stand for what they believe in, as did the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I know the students paid attention by the way they answered the questions that were asked of them.
I would like to express my appreciation for the presentation, and thanks to Mrs. Keller for the valuable information she presented to the class. Much of this information was provided through the Arnold-Liebster Foundation and their website at www.alst.org. I will be inviting Mrs. Keller to present this information to my classes next semester.
Carrie Moden
10th Grade English
7001 Coldwater Road
Northrop High School
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
December 22, 2009
Barbara Y. Pleasants, Iowa State University
To Whom It May Concern:
I would like to recommend inviting Sandra Milakovich to your school or organization. She and her husband Greg do an excellent program on the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nazi Germany. I first met Sandra at a teacher’s conference several years ago at which I heard her do a brief presentation. I was impressed with her then and she provided me with very useful teaching materials.
I have taught a course on The Holocaust at Iowa State for many years and this fall I invited Sandra and Greg to speak to my class. My students keep journals, so I get a great deal of feedback from them about course content. I usually have Jewish Holocaust survivors come and, of course, this makes a great impression on the students. The response to the Jehovah’s Witness presentation was equally enthusiastic. I hope they will be willing to come back in future semesters.
The presentation was polished, well organized, and engrossing. It utilized testimony on film clips of survivors along with other moving accounts. The Witnesses are presented as a persecuted group who never abandoned their principles and who dared to speak out against the Nazis. In no way is the program an attempt to proselytize.
Sandra and Greg are delightful people who give of their time to spread a message of moral courage in the face of enormous evil. This is a message of great value.
Sincerely,
Barbara Y. Pleasants, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Iowa State University of Science and Technology
253 Bessey Hall
Ames, Iowa 50010
July 8, 2009: 7th Grade Language Arts/Social Studies Teacher, Chimacum Middle School, Chimacum, Washington
Gretchen Berg, Chimacum, Washington
The age of technology has been praised for its many positive qualities and it has been blamed for many woes. In the case of my 7th grade class, I can praise it because with a laptop and a projector, I was able to introduce my 7th graders to this wonderful and humble woman known as Simone Arnold Liebster. We live in a small, rural town two hours from Seattle and it is not always easy to provide our students with culturally enriching experiences close to home. From the day they first learned about Simone until long after we said goodbye, my students opened their minds and hearts to absorb Simone's powerful story and message of peace. For most, it was, without a doubt, the most memorable experience from their 7th grade year.
As an educator, figuring out how to make history real for young ones is a constant challenge - especially in this digital age. The materials provided by the Arnold-Liebster Foundation were extremely valuable to creating a memorable, touching experience for my students. The activities helped ensure that my students were fully prepared for understanding Simone's individual experience. The Core Value/Pressures worksheet not only connected to what they have learned through our Holocaust unit, but it also connected to what we have been learning throughout the school year.
Several students read Simone's book and their experience grew when they had the opportunity to view a previously recorded interview with Simone via the internet. When it carne time to develop questions to ask Simone, they put all of their learning about the Holocaust up to that point to use and created heartfelt, meaningful and thoughtful questions to learn more about how Simone's experience as a young girl facing down the Nazi lion affected her life. By the time they completed their personal interview with Simone in the real-time videoconference, my students were visibly moved by the experience and could finally, truly, put a human face on this horrible event we call the Holocaust. They were able to identify with Simone and appreciate her ability to stand firm for her beliefs at a young age despite unbelievable pressure. If only we could all have that ability to stand up for what is right in the face of inhuman actions!
It didn't take long for my students to make the connection that if only everyone would have stood up for morality and humanity, the Holocaust would never have been as devastating as it was. They then took the next step and made the connection that if they are able to stand up against hatred and bullying in its myriad of forms, then our school, our community, our world will be a better place to live in. What better lesson can we teach our young people as they seek guidance in this morally corrupt world we live in? Nothing is more powerful than first-hand experience and the Arnold-Liebster Foundation provides a critical service in arranging these powerful video-conferences for educators across the nation. Simone's is a powerful and enriching story that everyone should hear and I am immensely grateful to have had this opportunity for myself and my students!
Many Thanks,
Gretchen Berg
7th Grade Language Arts/Social Studies
Chimacum Middle School
91 W. Valley Road
Chimacum, Washington
July 8, 2009
Mrs. Heather Eustice, South Pekin, Illinois
Dear Simone Arnold Liebster,
I wanted to send a letter of thanks for what you did for my class. It is because of you and your willingness to give so generously of your experience that my class will have a better understanding of what happened during the reign of Adolf Hitler. I have read your story to my 5th grade classes for many years and I have always felt like it made a difference. This year was even more special because we were able to "meet" you during our webcam conference. It was nice to be able to put a voice and what you look like now with the picture I have of you in my head as a young girl when I read your story to my class. The one thing I enjoyed most about our conference was how you answered the children's questions. You have every right to be angry and bitter after what happened to you, your family, and friends, but you never convey that when you respond to the questions. lnstead you focus on answering the questions honestly without focusing on all the negatives. I personally believe the faith that helped you get through your ordeal as a child still is very evident and continues to be a big part of who you are today. The one message that you referred to over and over was your love for Jehovah and how it made you strong so you could make good choices. This is something that children in this generation struggle with too. I think it is important that you let them know that they have a choice and that it isn't always easy or popular to stand up for what you believe in. With this knowledge you have given them, I hope they will have the ability to make better choices as they grow up. In closing I would like to say it was a pleasure to be able to talk to you and get our questions answered. I am grateful for the opportunity that you provided for my class and will always think fondly of you, your story, and how you give of yourself so unselfishly.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Heather Eustice
5th Grade Teacher
South Pekin Grade School
206 West Main Street
South Pekin, Illinois 61564
May 15, 2009
TECHNOLOGY LINKS STUDENTS TO HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR
On Monday, December 1, Ms. Weber's Holocaust class participated in a video conference using the Promethean board with Holocaust survivor Simone Arnold-Liebster. Mrs. Liebster resides in France and has written a book that the class read called "Facing the Lion," in which she describes her life in France as a ten-year old whose faith and strong convictions as a Jehovah's Witness allowed her and her parents to survive the Holocaust. The class prepared questions for Mrs. Liebster and were left inspired by her lessons.
Among the class's reflections on the interview :
"I have never met anyone as strong as Simone. She is what everyone should strive to be." (Chloe)
"Simone never gave in, while others conformed to Hitler's ways. Her video interview gave me hope that even though someone has had a terrible past, they can forgive and live a happy life." (Angie)
"The fact that Simone refused to 'Heil Hitler' and stayed strong to her virtues in unimaginable." (Manisha)
"[Simone's] ability to discuss the horrors that befell her is strength on a level that I've never encountered before. Mrs. Liebster told us, "A conviction is a conviction because you know it to be true." (Katherine)
RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE
1821 Sunset Drive
Bettendorf, IA 52722
www.rivermontcollegiate.org
Anna-Marie Davis, Phoenix, Arizona
To Whom It May Concern:
My students participated in an extensive study of the Holocaust that included reading Simone Liebster’s story about her personal experiences during World War II. Simone’s book provided students with the perspective about what happened to Jehovah Witnesses during the war. I loved being able to teach the Holocaust from various perspectives and experiences. In the ten years that I have been an educator, I have never encountered such an amazing learning experience as the one provided from Facing the Lion. It was truly an incredible opportunity to not only get to read Simone’s story, but then get to speak with her live from France!! I cannot stress how this is an experience that all teachers need to integrate into their study of the Holocaust.
Anna-Marie Davis
8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Orangewood K-8 Elementary School
7337 N. 19th Avenue
Phoenix AZ 85021
Kendra Cameron-Jarvis, Asheville, North Carolina
As a middle school teacher, I think it is vitally important that we teach our students about standing up for their beliefs and heeding the call to help others. I teach in an ethnically divided school that serves children from all over the world. Many of these students are different races, speak different languages, and believe different truths. However, the Holocaust is a bridge that connects all of these differences. We can all, no matter our background, empathize with injustice … and that is what the Holocaust webcam interview led by Diana Zientek did for my students. This interview is a common experience that my students all share and can all connect with and we can use this as a starting point for discussions on injustice and intolerance in our school and community and what we can do to change it. It was incredible to see the enthusiasm my students exuded about actually meeting Simone and Max and even more remarkable was the effect Max and Simone’s words had on my students. My students left school that day more tolerant of their fellow classmates and more open to other’s ideas, but most importantly, they left with a feeling of pride and courage, that they too, could stand firm in the face of their ‘lions’ and come out better for it.
I prepared my students for the interview with the help of Diana Zientek, a Holocaust consultant specializing in the Nazi persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Diana met with me many times before the day of the interview. She presented a multimedia lecture that included excerpts from Simone’s book, Facing the Lion, interviews with Simone, historical background on the Holocaust, and even a replica of a Jehovah Witness’s camp uniform! Before the interview my students wrote questions that were emailed to Simone and Max. The entire process was well organized and straightforward. Because of all the preparation, I felt my students had a good knowledge base when the day of the interview arrived. I highly recommend this experience to any educator that wants to impact their students, school, and community!
Kendra Cameron-Jarvis
8th grade English Teacher
A.C. Reynolds Middle School
Asheville, North Carolina
Eric Silenzi, Palmetto, Florida
I am writing this letter in regards to the video conference that my Holocaust Studies students recently participated in. Over the years I have had numerous survivors visit my classroom, but this was something new, something different-so you can imagine how excited I was!
When I told my students about a video conference with Max and Simone Liebster, I immediately had their attention. When they discovered that Max and Simone lived in France and that we would be broadcasting from our school in real time they were instantly hooked.
It's wonderful having a pool of local Holocaust survivors who can come to my classroom and speak to my students, but what about those who can't? How does one who has so much to contribute yet lives so far away share their valuable lessons? The answer: video conferencing!
The benefits of video conferencing are obvious: it has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for my students and me. Video conferencing is a tool that enables teachers to bring the outside world into their classroom. My students and I are still thrilled about our video conference with Max and Simone and I look forward to the future use of video conferencing within my curriculum.
Just imagine-anyone, anywhere, anytime! It's a whole new area of education that should and needs to be utilized.
Sincerely,
Mr. Eric Silenzi
Dept. Chair
Social Studies Palmetto
High School
1200 17th Street West
Palmetto, FL 34221
Cynthia Robinson, Richmond, Virginia
To whom it may concern,
This letter is to acknowledge the outstanding presentations that were made to my ninth and tenth grade English classes by Gray Miyashiro. In November 2006, Ms. Miyahshiro, gave four Holocaust presentations that prompted the students to think about what it meant to be a victim in the Holocaust. Her powerpoint presentation entitled “Choices” spoke about how two young individuals lived during that tough time period and how they had to live with the choices they made later in life. My students were able to write letters to one of the “young individuals,” Simone Liebster, a Nazi survivor. Simone’s story was told to the class as an example of a young person making the difficult decision to follow her conscience rather than to conform to a social injustice.
Later in March, 2007, Ms. Miyashiro returned to the classes and showed a video entitled “Jehovah’s Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault.” This presentation discussed the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ struggle during the Holocaust and how their story was unique. Where many of the victims did not have a choice in being persecuted, the Jehovah’s Witnesses were given a “way out.” But rather than signing a document that dismisses their faith and principles, they chose to follow their conscience and to not conform. Students engaged in discussion and group activities that required them to examine authentic historical data and to solve problems as a team.
The presentations were insightful and meaningful. The presentations and activities had a lasting impact on the students’ perspective of the Holocaust as one of history’s darkest chapters. I learned quite a bit, and was inspired myself. I would recommend Ms. Miyashiro and the presentations to any teacher interested in teaching about the Holocaust, as well as the basic human principle of letting your conscience be your guide.
Cynthia Robinson
9th and 10th grade English Teacher
Thomas Jefferson High
4100 West Grace Street
Richmond, Virginia 23225
March 14, 2007: Social Studies Teacher, Prairie High School, College Community Schools, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Kent Noska, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I would like to express my appreciation for the presentation of Greg and Sandra Milakovich regarding the struggles of Jehovah's Witnesses during World War II. The information they shared was strictly educational and very beneficial to our U.S. History students. The Milakovich's rich knowledge, plentiful resources, unique perspective and various accounts from survivors made their presentation engaging for all. Inviting Greg and Sandra into our classroom was rewarding for the students and convinced me that this is an opportunity I will provide for future classes. It is my recommendation that you include this presentation in your curriculum. Their message of standing firm in the face of tremendous opposition is one that all students will benefit from.
Sincerely,
Kent Noska
Prairie High School
College Community Schools
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
knoska@prairiepride.org
August 2, 2006: Education Coordinator and Public Historian, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Evanston, Illinois
Kelley H. Szany, Evanston, Illinois
On behalf of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, we commend your organization for its unwavering mission to educate students and teachers throughout the Midwest on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses during the Holocaust. We have found the resources that your organization has provided to us and our constituents most valuable, in particular the exemplary study guide and documentary video, "Stand Firm."
The power of "Stand Firm" lies in its ability to allow educators to present the story of the Holocaust in a way that causes the student to relate the experience of the Jehovah's Witnesses to his or her own life today - the values we hold dear, the moral choices we each confront, and the recognizing that each of us has the power to stand up and speak out for what is right.
By finding the courage, by standing firm for what they knew to be right, these ordinary people overcame extraordinary odds. The collective values that our educators are able to impart through these lessons affirm our human dignity, promote the good of the individual and the common good, and protect our human rights.
In history classes, students should not only learn what happened, they should be given an opportunity to make ethical judgments about it. After all, history is not merely a timeline of events; rather it is about people making choices that affected other people. Those choices had ethical and moral dimensions and often produced profound consequences. At times, we know what we should do, feel strongly that we should do it, yet still fail to translate moral judgment and feeling into effective moral behavior. You might ask: Who were the people making those choices and what do you think about their actions? Did they do right, or did they do wrong? What could people have done to resist the Nazis? What if more people had chosen not to cooperate with Nazism? By bringing to the forefront the character dimension of this aspect of Holocaust history, you enhance the relevance of the subject matter to the student's natural interests and questions, and in the process, increase student engagement.
We deeply appreciate your commitment to this important aspect of Holocaust history. Today's events tell us that the lessons of the Holocaust remain all too relevant for our time. We often wonder about the human capacity to resist evil. By using resources such as "Stand Firm", we are able to present to our educators a way to bring a more positive example into their classrooms of one group of people who followed their conscience in the face of tyranny.
We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Kelley H. Szany
Education Coordinator and Public Historian
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
1603 Orrignton Avenue, Suite 1625
Evanston, IL 60201
Leonita Nelson, Montgomery, Alabama
In twenty years as an educator in public schools, never have I had a learning experience as extraordinary as the webcast with Simone Arnold Liebster, Holocaust survivor. The pages of history came alive as ninth grade inner city students and their teachers took a virtual field trip to France to have a conversation in real time with a seventy-five year old Holocaust survivor. We have all read much about history, but rarely can we ask a character from the past personal questions that are burning on our minds.
The students, my fellow educators, and I were respectfully awestruck by the clarity, the detail, and the absence of bitterness with which Mrs. Liebster spoke. Rather than dwell on the atrocities of the Holocaust, she explained how she felt as everything she knew was taken away from her, even her name.
The strength of character needed to stand up for her beliefs during the years without her parents resounded as she answered the student's questions.
World War II had many facets. Simone's story is one that young people can easily relate to because she expressed the insecurities so common to adolescents. Simone took us back in time with her as she shared the untold experience of a twelve-year old girl taken from her mother and put in a German reeducation home during the Holocaust. Students were struck by the unfairness Mrs. Liebster received, however we did not pity her that day, we admired her. She made us wonder, "Could I have endured such maltreatment with the same kind of dignity that Simone Liebster displayed?"
As a Curriculum Specialist, I highly recommend the book, "Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Germany", the lesson plans on the SHOAH Foundation's website, and the ultimate culminating experience - the live webcast with Mrs. Liebster arranged by the Arnold-Liebster Foundation. Using these materials, a ninth grade teacher, Mrs. Judith Bailey, was able to extend her unit on the Holocaust. Her students did crossword puzzles, wrote poems, and developed interview questions during their novel study.
I sincerely thank the Arnold-Liebster Foundation for their guidance, collaboration, and most importantly, the access to the primary source, Simone Arnold-Liebster, eyewitness to the Holocaust.
Sincerely,
Leonita Nelson
Curriculum Specialist
Title I Office
Montgomery Public School
3108 Fairwest Place
Montgomery, Alabama 36108
July 20, 2006: Program Coordinator, Martin-Springer Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
Melissa Cohen, Flagstaff, Arizona
We would like to thank you for your informative presentation on March 15,
2006 at the Martin-Springer Institute, located at Northern Arizona University. Your presentation to local teachers and students supported our mission of using the lessons of the Holocaust to promote moral courage, altruism, and tolerance. We were most impressed with your ability to discuss the topic and history of the Jehovah's Witnesses without the presentation becoming an opportunity for proselytization. We believe that the Jehovah's Witness community present an interesting case study for the examination of action and courage in the light of unspeakable horrors. The program successfully showed the strength of citizens who refused to conform to Nazi pressure, a theme that meshed perfectly with our institute's mission.
We appreciate the commitment and professional work that the organization's volunteers continue to exhibit.
Melissa Cohen
Program Coordinator
Martin-Springer Institute
Northem Arizona University
P.O. Box 5624
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5624
(928) 523-2464
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