23 October 2013
On Thursday, October 24, 2013, Yad Vashem and the Aladdin Project will hold their first-ever joint Holocaust education seminar in Turkey. A group of some 20 academics who teach in private and public universities in Turkey will participate in the program organized by the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, in cooperation with the Aladdin Project and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) at Galatasaray University in Istanbul.
The seminar is the first stage of a five-part educational initiative for Turkish academics. Within the framework of the seminar, the participants will hear lectures on Holocaust education and antisemitism including: "Turkey and the Universality of Holocaust Education: the Aladdin Project's Perspectives," by Abe Radkin Executive Director, the Aladdin Project, "Project Overview and a Workshop on Holocaust Memory Represented in the Graphic Arts," by Richelle Budd Caplan, Director of the European Department at Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies, "Issues in the Study of the Holocaust" followed by a discussion, by Yad Vashem Senior Historian Dr. David Silberklang, with closing remarks by Dr. Umut Uzer of the Istanbul Technical University.
"This is an initial, although important step given the significance of Turkish society in the Muslim world. At Yad Vashem we are witnessing interest in the Holocaust that traverses countries, religion and language. Our International School for Holocaust Studies is prepared to meet this challenge," said Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev.
During the second stage of the program participants will take part in an online study course beginning in January 2014. In June 2014, the group will visit Jerusalem for a weeklong seminar at Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies. In the fourth stage they will implement educational programs in their respective universities, and in February 2015 the program will culminate with a video-conference summarizing the program and bringing together the entire group of educators to assess the outcome of the long-term project.
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The International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem was founded two decades ago to provide Holocaust education to a broad audience. Hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, soldiers, and leaders of public opinion from Israel and around the world attend programs at the International School every year, and use the various multi-media educational materials created. www.yadvashem.org
The Aladdin Project is an independent NGO whose goal is to promote greater mutual knowledge among peoples of different cultures and religions, particularly Jews and Muslims, in order to bring about changes in attitudes and perceptions and develop a culture of peace and tolerance. www.projetaladin.org
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is an intergovernmental body whose purpose is to place political and social leaders’ support behind the need for Holocaust education, remembrance and research both nationally and internationally. www.holocaustremembrance.com
