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4 CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY REPORT 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

6 Centropa Summer Academies 2007—2014

CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2013, BERLIN

8 Berlin

10 Berlin: Greatness And Tragedy

12 When The City Becomes The Classroom

14 The Jewish Museum, The Holocaust Memorial

16 Walking Jewish Berlin

18 Our Speakers In Berlin

20 When Teachers Learn From Each Other

22 Teacher Presentations

25 Using Centropa In The Classroom

28 Things To Improve

34 Budget

34 The Team 2013

CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2014, VIENNA & SARAJEVO

38 Vienna & Sarajevo

40 Journey Through A Ruinous Century

42 Vienna And The Modern Age

44 When History Has A Name, A Face, A Story

46 Klimt, Schiele And Vienna 1900

48 The National Library And The Military Museum

50 Speakers In Vienna

52 Interlude In Zagreb

54 Sarajevo

56 Walking Through History In A City With Open Scars

60 The Siege Of Sarajevo And La Benevolencija

62 Finding Common Ground In A War-Ravaged Land

64 Our Speakers In Sarajevo


68 Bringing What We Learned Back To The Classroom


72 Centropa’s Educational Networks

76 Budget

76 The Team 2014

5

Claims ConferenceThe Conference on Jewish MaterialClaims Against Germanywww.claimscon.org

SUPPORTERS

US Embassy Vienna

Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family FoundationCovenant FoundationUS Embassy BudapestUS Embassy BelgradeUS Embassy SkopjeRonald Lauder FoundationCounty of Charleston School AdministrationCounty of Palm BeachInsight Foundation, Palm BeachThe Richard Russell Foundation, Miami

Jewish Museum BerlinJewish Museum ViennaHolocaust Fund Of The Jews From MacedoniaRZB - Raiffeisen Central Bank AustriaDuke University, Department of European StudiesAustrian National BankAustrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign AffairsNorth Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching

Professional Educators of North CarolinaSouth Carolina Council on the HolocaustSpanish Embassy, SarajevoGerman Embassy, SarajevoLa Benevolencija, SarajevoWorld Affairs Council of CharlotteThe Evangelical Church of the Rhineland


TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

6 Centropa Summer Academies 2007—2014

CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2013, BERLIN

8 Berlin

10 Berlin: Greatness And Tragedy

12 When The City Becomes The Classroom

14 The Jewish Museum, The Holocaust Memorial

16 Walking Jewish Berlin

18 Our Speakers In Berlin

20 When Teachers Learn From Each Other


25 Using Centropa In The Classroom


34 Budget

34 The Team 2013

CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2014, VIENNA & SARAJEVO

38 Vienna & Sarajevo

40 Journey Through A Ruinous Century

42 Vienna And The Modern Age

44 When History Has A Name, A Face, A Story

46 Klimt, Schiele And Vienna 1900

48 The National Library And The Military Museum

50 Speakers In Vienna

52 Interlude In Zagreb

54 Sarajevo

56 Walking Through History In A City With Open Scars

60 The Siege Of Sarajevo And La Benevolencija

62 Finding Common Ground In A War-Ravaged Land

64 Our Speakers In Sarajevo


68 Bringing What We Learned Back To The Classroom


72 Centropa’s Educational Networks

76 Budget

76 The Team 2014


Centropa’s fi rst Summer Academy took place in 2007, when we brought nine teach-ers from American Jewish schools to Vienna and Budapest. There was never sup-posed to be a second one. The year before that we had been working in exactly no schools, which means we had neither educational network nor a single educator on staff. But teachers had been coming to us ever since we launched centropa.org in 2002 and never stopped asking what sort of programs we offered them. Originally, we told them: none. We only knew we had developed an unprecedented way of capturing Jewish memory and that a hundred thousand unique visitors were coming to our website annually (that number is now a quarter million).

Teachers, like our general audience, were responding to the fact that these inter-views, which did not use video but combined old family pictures with the stories that went with them—were about how Jews lived during the entire turbulent, tragic twentieth century—not only about how their families perished during the Holocaust. They saw our database of Jewish memory as a very different sort of tool for human-izing the lessons they were teaching.

Since teachers were writing in and asking about adapting Centropa for classroom use while offering ideas of their own, we assumed that they were the experts we needed to turn to, and invited nine American educators to Vienna and Budapest. The quid pro quo: you spend part of every day working around a table to help us create programs you will use in your classroom—and then document students’ reactions to them—and we’ll spend part of every day introducing you to fi rst rate historians, taking you to world class museums, and visiting the very sites where his-tory happened.

Our idea: to use the city as a classroom, and the entire eight days of that fi rst sum-mer program was built around adding to the teachers’ knowledge base, while at the same time helping them develop a new set of skills based on that knowledge.

The most surprising thing we learned that summer was when we introduced our Americans to a few Hungarian and Austrian teachers who stopped by to sit in on our sessions. They not only bonded with each other immediately, they stayed in touch during the school year to share ideas, ask questions, and even share lesson plans

across the Atlantic. We had never heard of teachers from different countries and different disciplines working together to create lesson plans they would concurrent-ly use in Los Angeles, Budapest, Baltimore, Vienna, and Boston, but it was happen-ing before our eyes. And this was a fi eld we wished to till.

In July 2008, we brought sixteen teachers from four countries to Berlin; and the next year twenty-four teachers from six countries visited Germany’s Mosel River Valley with us. By 2010 the word was out, and we took sixty teachers from ten countries to the three great capitals of Habsburg Europe: Prague, Vienna and Budapest; then we brought sixty-fi ve teachers from twelve countries to Krakow, Vienna and Sarajevo. In 2012 we returned to Germany—to Frankfurt, Mannheim, Heidelberg and Berlin, where seventy teachers from fourteen countries took part. This report details our summer programs in Berlin in 2013, and Vienna and Sarajevo in 2014.

Three hundred ninety teachers, education ministry offi cials, and museum educators have taken part in our summer programs (including 2013 and 2014), and when a teacher like MJ Limbo from Ashboro, NC wrote us to say, "this summer you broad-ened my mind, deepened my understanding, and changed my heart," then we understood that the fi eld we have been tilling has been bearing fruit.

Other organizations do an exemplary job of commemorating the destruction of Jewish life during the Holocaust. Their video interviews concentrate on elderly Jews recounting the horrors they endured; their trips to Central and Eastern Europe focus on concentration camps, ghettos, and death camps.

That isn’t us. We want teachers—accompanied by historians—to stroll down Vienna’s grand Ring Boulevard, where Sigmund Freud walked each afternoon to Café Landtmann. They should traverse the narrow streets of Berlin Mitte while read-ing Centropa interviews that took place there, and then arrive before the door of Regina Jonas, the fi rst woman rabbi in the world. And we invite Bosnian and Israeli historians to guide them through the old Turkish alleyways of Sarajevo, where in 1894 a boy by the name of Kohen carried under his arm an old family heirloom, which would someday be known as the most famous Jewish book in the world, the legendary Sarajevo Haggadah.

CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMIES 2007—2014INTRODUCTION

7

Just as important, we want teachers from different countries and disciplines to en-gage with top historians, share best practices with each other, and delve into digital storytelling. In other words, Centropa Summer Academies help educators build their knowledge base, turn that knowledge into skills, and then we track their prog-ress as they bring those skills to their students on three continents—while creating cross-border projects with each other.

This report highlights our last two Summer Academies and we, the educational staff at Centropa, hope you will enjoy reading through it. Naturally, if you have any ques-tions, feel free to contact us.

2010 PRAGUE VIENNA

BUDAPEST

60 TEACHERS

10 COUNTRIES

2009 FRANKFURT

24 TEACHERS

6COUNTRIES

2007 BUDAPEST

2012MANNHEIM HEIDELBERG FRANKFURT

BERLIN

70 TEACHERS

14 COUNTRIES

2008BERLIN

16 TEACHERS

COUNTRIES

2011 KRAKOW VIENNA

SARAJEVO

65 TEACHERS

12 COUNTRIES

2013 BERLIN

85 TEACHERS

16 COUNTRIES

2014 VIENNA

SARAJEVO

90 TEACHERS

17 COUNTRIES

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

BERL INCENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2013



It is a city where history is written both large and small; you fi nd it when you look up, it’s there at your feet. It’s in front of you as you stroll the avenues; it’s waiting around the corner. The Stolperstein, or stumbling block, pictured on the right says it all. Gunter Demnig, a Cologne-based conceptual artist, created this project, which places a brass plaque naming the deported and murdered Jewish resident just before his or her house or apartment. Thirty-eight thousand Stolpersteine have been created to date in Germany and other countries; fi ve thousand can be found in Berlin alone and more are added each year.

For anyone interested in Jewish history, social studies, Holocaust education, world literature, and the arts, Berlin draws like a magnet because no other city has so consistently stood in the vortex of modern history: fi rst as a great generator of twentieth century culture, then as the epicenter of pure evil, followed by four de-cades of being stuck in Cold War quicksand, and now, in the twenty-fi rst century, as the capital of the new Europe. Even if one wanted to, one cannot separate Berlin’s Jewish history from all that swirled around it during these epochs.

It all began in 1743, when a Jewish teenager from Dessau stood at the gates of Berlin and was allowed to enter the city, because Prussia’s young monarch had recently eased residence restrictions for Jews. This teenager would go on to rewrite the way Europe’s Jews related to their religion and their societies, while the King, who had started out as a friend of Voltaire and the Enlightment became obsessed with military might. By the time Moses Mendelsohn and Frederick the Great died in 1786, they had changed Germany forever.

If Berlin’s cultural life fl ourished in the fi rst decades of the twentieth century, then Jews were among its most avid gardeners. Albert Einstein arrived in the city in 1914, ready to apply his theories at Humboldt University; Lise Meitner had arrived before him and was already working with Otto Hahn in their physics la boratory not far away. Kurt Weill showed up in 1918, just around the time teenage Regina Jonas made up her mind to become a rabbi, even though no woman in the world had ever been a rabbi before.

In 1926, Lise Meitner became the fi rst woman to be given a professorship in Germany and some of her discoveries would help Otto Hahn (but not her) receive

the Nobel Prize two decades later. In 1928, Kurt Weill performed The Threepenny Opera, and in that year, Elias Canetti, a Sephardic Jew living in Vienna and who would win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1981, came to Berlin where he wrote about Weill and Brecht and their circle. Regina Jonas, after years of struggle, was fi nally given her rabbinical certifi cate a few years later.

It was all for naught; the Nazis put paid to their careers in Germany (along with hundreds of thousands of others), although they—like the Jewish fi lmmakers, com-posers, architects and philosophers who also fl ed the Nazis—helped turn postwar America into the cultural powerhouse it very likely would not have become without them.

Of the four giants mentioned here, only Regina Jonas did not fl ee Berlin. In 1942 she took charge of her last congregation, the Theresienstadt ghetto, where she minis-tered the old, the young, the frightened, and the starving until they pushed her onto a transport headed for the gas chambers of Auschwitz Birkenau in 1944. The fi rst woman rabbi in the world went on to be completely forgotten, until researchers uncovered her story sixty years after she had been murdered.

All of this history, the greatness and the tragedy, is on view in Berlin. In its museums, on its streets, in its parks, and in its cemeteries. And that is why we came here, so we could learn about history by walking through history.

BERL IN : GREATNESS AND TRAGEDYCENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2013


For this 2013 Summer Academy, there were several ways we helped our educators add to their knowledge base on twentieth century Central Europe, Berlin, and its Jewish history. We asked them to read specifi c books during the school year; we brought in world class historians to meet with them once they arrived; and best of all, we explored the alleyways of Berlin Mitte where Jews once lived and worked, the broad boulevards where Nazis marched and paraded, and the places where Berliners watched with tears in their eyes as the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, and where they sobbed even harder in 1989 when it came down.

For this Summer Academy, we created the fi rst of what will be an ongoing series of Centropa Source Books. This year's paperback fi lled with personal reminiscences of Centropa interviewees, whose stories take us back to the pre-war world of Jewish Berlin; essays on the art and fi lm of the Weimar Republic; and lists and articles high-lighting Berlin’s most famous Jewish names and dates. This Berlin Source Book was written not only to be a guide to Berlin itself, but also as a great reference tool for teachers using this material in DBQ (Document Based Questions) projects, chal-lenging students to use critical thinking when studying history, social studies, and Holocaust.

To help build a knowledge base, we tied history in a chronological line: we visit-ed the site where Josef Goebbels had Jewish books burned; then stood before the blown apart façade of the Anhalter Bahnhof and read each other passages by Jews looking back on the very moment their parents put them on Kindertransports to England; and we strolled through the manicured memorial park where tens of thousands of Soviet soldiers—those who fought the Germans house to house—are buried. In this sculpture garden to the dead, we read excerpts from interviews with Russian Jewish soldiers who spoke of what it was like to fi ght their way into the "lair of the beast," as one of them called it.

But history did not stop then, and we drove by Tempelhof Flughafen, built by the Nazis, and the airport where American cargo planes landed every one hundred twenty seconds between 1948 and 1949 to keep the city alive when Stalin tried to cut it off.

We did even more, spending half a day in Berlin's enormous Jewish Museum, which combines Daniel Libeskind’s conceptual architecture with exhibitions that cover nearly one thousand years of German Jewish history. We met with curators and guides at the Oranienburgerstrasse synagogue, once the largest synagogue in the city and ultimate showplace of German Jewry. We also visited, among other places, the Information Center of the Berlin Holocaust Memorial, which is, in our opinion, the single-most impressive Holocaust museum anywhere.

It is by bringing teachers to visit such powerful places of history, tragedy, and mem-ory, and discussing them on the spot, that their knowledge base grew exponentially. They did not just see history. They felt its pulse beating.

WHEN THE C ITY BECOMES THE CLASSROOMBUILDING A KNOWLEDGE BASE

13

VIENNA-SHANGHAIThe Brodmanns

ZAMOSCMieczyslaw Weinryb

KRAKOWTeofi la Silberring

KRAKOWCentropa slide show

VILNIUSRanana Malkanova

VIENNAMax and Frieda Uri

BUDAPESTPiroska Hamos

BUDAPESTImre Kinszki

BRATISLAVAKatarina Loeffl erova

VIDEO WORKSHOP for teachers

THE POETRY CHALLENGEVideo/English/Poetry

KUTNA HORADagmar Lieblova

VIENNAJewish Soldiers

PRAGUEJindrich Lion

TORDALazslo Nusszbaum

MUNKACSErnst Galpert

ISTANBULGuler Orgun

SOFIA/BURGASMatilda Albuhaire

BELGRADEThe Kalefs

SARAJEVOSurvival in Sarajevo

BITOLABeno and Roza

SALONIKAThe Molhos

FRANKFURTErna Goldmann

THE MOSELCentropa eBook

BERLINRosa Rosenstein

EAST PRUSSIAHerbert Lewin

VIENNA-LONDONKitty Suschny

VIENNA-LONDONLilli Tauber

JEWISH SOLDIERS’ RED STARSoviet Soldiers eBook

ROVNOHaya Lea Detinko

ODESSAArnold Fabrikant

MY TOWN’S JEWISH HISTORYvideos


During our Berlin Summer Academy, we spent part of every day visiting the sites where history took place, the museums that encapsulate that history, and met with historians, guides, and curators who would help bring that history to life. The two museums that spoke to our teachers in the loudest, clearest voices were the Berlin Jewish Museum, a museum of German Jewish history, and what is called the Information Center at the Holocaust Memorial.

THE JEWISH MUSEUM, THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

There is a huge difference when you can see, touch, and experience a place and un-derstand its historical value rather than simply read about it. Our visiting these places brought to life in such a meaningful way the history that Centropa is trying to impart. The guided tours by museum curators and guides were fantastic and the Jewish Museum was by far one of the best I've seen—it was very comprehensive and acces-sible. The Holocaust Memorial and Information Center impacted me in a very deep and real way... it is the Centropa way of telling a story, where the focus isn't simply the statistics, but rather the focus is on the families—the people that you can see before and after. It humanizes the experience and statistics.

Amy Vargas-Tonsi, Durham, NC

BUILDING A KNOWLEDGE BASE

15

The Berlin Jewish Museum—I wish I had this museum as my classroom, I will share my experience with my students. This museum is so different from everything I have seen before; it simply puts you in the history, I like the concept of the architecture, the empty voids... I think it is possible to use part of this concept in the classroom. The Holocaust Memorial and the Information Center downstairs is like going down into the grave. I like the letters there, personal stories that break my heart. I liked this because this was not a museum with abstract items or objects, but with LIVING and VERY POWERFUL STORIES TO TELL, directly from INDIVIDUALS.

Dragan Gorgievski, Bitola, Macedonia


Berlin is a city that rose to great heights in the late nineteeth century, turned monstrously large in the 1930s, and was pummeled to ruin in the 1940s. During the Cold War, much of the city was left as the Soviet Army found it in 1945—full of bullet holes and blown apart. Only slowly has the city been rebuilt. As we visited the sites and walked the streets, our Centropa Source Book came in especially handy, as every place came alive through the texts we read.

I really liked the Jewish district walking tour. I was able to under-stand more of what Berlin was like then and how it has transformed into what it is now. To look at the buildings that people now use as shops or restaurants when they were originally homes for Jews just amazed me. I was especially touched by the stumbling stones on the streets. After noticing them for the fi rst time I couldn't walk down the street without stopping and pausing to think about that person or the people who were taken in such a tragic way. This would hit home to my students by showing them the pictures I took and explaining to them what happened and asking them to think about what if something like that happened in their lifetimes.

Kelli Gerhardt, Spartanburg, SC

WALKING JEWISH BERL IN

The visit to the Anhalter Bahnhof was one of the most import-ant parts of my trip. I had looked through the book on my own in the hotel but being with the group, there at the train station, and having individual participants reading the interview excerpts aloud to us really left its mark. As I stood there and looked around, I saw tears streaming down peoples face and I thought to myself, Centropa has truly made history come alive.

Erica Washburn, Charleston, SC

I’m German, and having lived in Berlin, I knew all the places on our walking tour. What was new to me was seeing them with people who were not German. Their reactions, questions, and remarks gave me a whole new perspective. Experiencing history as a partic-ipant and coming face to face with history, as you exchange ideas with other teachers—it changes everything.

Kirstin Lakeberg, Bonn, Germany

The walking tours made me 'feel' history, I was able to experience stories that until now I had only read about. The Oranienburger Strasse synagogue, the streets of the Jewish quarter—this brought German Jewish history alive for me and now I can do a much better job of telling this story to my students.

Yonathan Bar-On, Haifa, Israel

Aside from those Stolpersteine, I was moved at how ‘in your face’ the history of the Holocaust is—in a city which is so hip and buzzing. What a place of contrasts. Monuments and memorials are everywhere. It’s hard to grasp, really. There’s certainly nothing like it anywhere else.

Marcia Wollner, San Diego, CA



All during our Summer Academy, we brought in speakers—from Bosnia, Greece, the US, and Poland—to speak to our participants and challenge their accepted notions on historical narratives and on ethics and morality.

OUR SPEAKERS IN BERL IN

Konstanty Gebert is one of the most important public intellectuals Poland has produced in the past thirty years. As an activist during the underground anti-Com-munist movement, as a columnist for one of the coun-try’s most prestigious newspapers, and as a Jewish community activist, Gebert spoke to our teachers of remembering there is always more than one narrative to every story, and only by accepting other versions of history can we see the positions of those we wish to work with.

Dr George Kalantzis, an historian, is the general secretary in the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs in Greece. Formerly the head of the Cabinet for the Vice Preisdent of Greece, Dr Kalantzis fl ew to Berlin to be with us when we screened our fi rst Greek fi lm, A Bookstore in Six Chapters, about the Molho family in Thessaloniki. Dr Kalantzis spoke of the ris-ing tide of antisemitism in Greece and about how his ministry is doubling its efforts to address the subject. The Education Ministry now cooperates closely with Centropa.

Nina Molho was born in Thessaloniki shortly after the Second World War. The city, once known as Salonika, was home to the largest Sephardic Jewish community in the world. 56,000 Jews were sent to their deaths, and Nina worked with Centropa to create a fi lm about her parents and their legendary bookstore. She nar-rated three versions of the fi lm for us—English, Ladino, and Greek. The fi lm has now been shown in ten fi lm festivals.


19

Jakob Finci fl ew to Berlin from Sarajevo to speak to us about civil courage in a time of war. Of this, he is an ex-pert. Mr Finci, whose family traces its roots back hun-dreds of years in Bosnia, was born during the Second World War in an Italian internment camp. Returning to the remnant community of Sarajevo in 1945, Mr Finci went on to become a lawyer, then was one of the leaders of the Jewish community in the 1990s who created a non-sectarian aid agency that helped every-one during the Bosnian war. Mr Finci and the Sarajevo Jewish community became one of the most respected insititutions in Bosnia during the war.

Rabbi Michael Paley was our rabbi-in-residence during the Berlin Summer Academy. Rabbi Paley, who works for the New York Jewish Federation, spent 2013 living in Budapest and traveling to Jewish communities throughout Central Europe. His goal: to meet with commuinty activists and work with them as they help rebuld their communities. Rabbi Paley’s contributions to our Summer Academy were immeasurable, as he brought home universal messages of ethics and morals that applied to all of us: Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Eyal Press In his book, Beautiful Souls, Eyal Press explores four people who stood up to authority and followed their own consciences: a Swiss border guard during the Holocaust; a Bosnian Serb who saved Croats in 1992; an Israeli soldier who refused to serve in the occupied territories; and a corporate whis-tleblower. In each case, they suffered mightily for their bravery yet they insisted on doing what was right. Press spoke with us by Skype about morality, ethics, and how some of us make diffi cult choices.


WHEN TEACHERS LEARN FROM EACH OTHERTURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO SKILLS

Over the past eight years, we have learned a great deal from our Summer Academy participants, primarily because we ask them to assess their eight-day-long experi-ence and tell us what we did right and what we need to improve. One of the most important things we learned is that when teachers give up eight days of summer va-cation to travel with us through Central Europe—and invest countless hours before and after—then we have to provide them with the tools they can use the very fi rst day they walk back into their classrooms. Teachers are practical; they come to us to gain practical knowledge.

We've already described how we build a knowledge base. But learning history is only the beginning. The rest of the time, participants work in sessions fi ne tuning their skills and turning them into classroom-ready lesson plans and projects.

We start by providing our teachers an easy-to-access website with biographies and photographs combined in a searchable database. Then we guide them to what we’re best known for: our online library of dozens of fi lms—both personal stories as well as documentaries. Every fi lm page was designed to be one-stop-shopping, so teachers don’t have to scramble and students can fi nd online study guides for researching the historical context, culture, and relevant literature on each fi lm.

We never make fi lms for students because we believe that a well-told story will reach all audiences, no matter their age. That is why our fi lms have been screened as offi cial selections in international fi lm festivals from China to Israel, from Poland to the United States. Films this good are sure fi re winners with teenagers, partly because this is the age when they fi rst start to love fi lms and appreciate them critically, and partly because teens have built-in radar and know when they are being talked down to. Intellectually, we challenge them to move up. They sense that and respond positively.

During our Berlin Summer Academy, we tried something new. We took the public transportation map of Berlin and turned it into a map from which our teachers could choose which routes to take—the Balkan Sephardic line, the Righteous Gentile line, or, for example, the Poland & the Shtetls line. All during the Summer Academy, teachers learned those subjects by watching fi lms, hearing lectures, discussing what they learned and building lesson plans together.

Because we focus at every Summer Academy on building skills, we put teachers in small groups—sometimes gathering them from one particular discipline such as history teachers from Europe, North America, and Israel, and at other times we had all the Polish teachers working among themselves, as well as the Serbs, Israelis, Americans, etc. in both cases, the idea was to give them time to brainstorm on how to use our fi lms, digest the historical lectures they heard, and use the photos they took on their walking tours. We even created small groups that made their own videos.

Nearly every day, the smaller groups shared with all of the participants their lesson ideas, so they could inspire other teachers while at the same time inviting feedback. Step by step, they built solid projects.

Finally, the single most important thing we do each year is ask our most innovative teachers to present the Centropa lessons and projects they carried out during the school year. This means all of our participants, no matter where they are from or what they teach, learn new teaching ideas and pedagogies they can’t wait to use with their own students, and then share them with other teachers in our network.

This section of our report shares with you our participants' responses to all these skills-building sessions.


TEACHER PRES ENTATIONSOf the half dozen presentations made by Centropa teachers, the one that electrifi ed everyone was the presentation made by Mike Irwin of Detroit and Branislava Stevanovic of Belgrade. Although we refer to this in our annual report, there is nothing like having teachers share their projects with each other, especially when those projects connect students across the Atlantic. The fact that a class of African American teenagers had a class of Serbian kids go to speak with a Centropa interviewee in Belgrade, and then report back on what she told them, meant the world to both groups. This is where real learning takes place—not just in the classroom, but in the way our Serbian students now have African American friends they stay in touch with, and how our students in Detroit now see a world much, much bigger than themselves.

Mike Irwin and Branislava Stevanovic—their experi-ences are very important, because they shared different technical prob-lems and its very help-ful for planning future projects. I like it so much how they solved the language barrier. Maybe I cannot exactly copy this project but it is import-ant to explore and fi nd

other possibilities of connecting students in different countries. I like their fi nal product, and they made relationships between kids that were just great, and I think the outcomes of this will be interesting many years after. These kids now see a bigger world.

Dragan Gjorgievski, Bitola, Macedonia

Mike & Branislava’s project really got me motivated! I am very interested in con-necting my students to other students in other countries for a few reasons. I want my students to learn about culture: their culture as well as other cultures. I think this would benefi t my students because they are able to truly understand there are REAL people who live in other countries other than the United States (which most of mine do not understand), and also, for students in other countries, allow-ing them to work on their English language is a big benefi t.

Kelli Gerhardt, Spartanburg, SCI like the presentation of Belgrade-Detroit cooperation—that's what I'd like my children to realize, to communicate with other students from different coun-tries. I'd like to use the idea of the cooking book in primary classes. They may not watch the whole fi lm but the teacher can show pictures and retell details, then focus on pupils' family histories—to collect recipes of mothers/grannies and translate them into English and go on with cooking and a joint party with parents.

Svetlana Kutuzova, St Petersburg, Russia

I would like to use Mike's and Branislava's project—I believe in open borders. With today's technologies it is not a problem to be in touch with students from all over the world. I think such projects enrich the students' knowledge and English language skills more than any common lesson.

Daniela Feldman, Tel Aviv, Israel

TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO SKILLS

23

While students in many countries have smart phones with video capa-bilities, Horatiu teaches in a small town in western Romania, where very few of his students have such high tech toys. Thinking on his feet and not wanting to leave anyone out, Horatiu had his students sit in the school’s computer lab, fi nd a Centropa Romanian interview online, and then create their own graphic novel (a comic book) based on that interview. Several of the students created the artwork, others did the translations, still others researched the story. Every student in the class who want-ed to participate could. And knowing their story is being used in school classes in other countries fi lled them with pride, and a commitment to create another graphic novel next year.

I liked Horatiu's graphic novel the most, but it is really a lot of work, so I might try and seek help with the Arts teachers at my school. If my colleagues are willing to give it a try, that would be fantastic! We would make it shorter, though—meaning it should be fi nished within one school year.

Branislava Stevanovic, Belgrade, Serbia

I liked Horatiu's idea of making a graphic novel. I will be incorporating this into my lesson this year. I have already set up a few ways my students will make graphic novels and am in the process of looking for history-based graphic novels for my students to read. Right now in the United States there is a big push on Common Core State Standards where everyone in every state will learn the same things in English Language Arts and Math. Using graphic novels aligns with the CCSS perfectly because it gives the students primary texts to read and students create story lines.



Once you start working across borders it’s really, really hard not to! I love Lisa Sterling’s idea of creating a beautiful recipe book between students in two differ-ent countries, and while I may not be able to use everything she did, it’s the way Lisa thought outside the box that I hope to follow. I also LOVED Lilach's presen-tation! The idea that teenagers create their own exhibition to be set up next to a Centropa exhibition challenges students on any number of levels. Again, it may be diffi cult to use the concept directly in an American public school, BUT the concept of students making an exhibition they can pull from the Centropa site is a great authentic project that could be adapted by a lot of us.

Mike Irwin, Detroit, MI

I think the best presentation was the one from Lilach Taichman. I found it partic-ularly interesting because it gave me inspiration, how I can cooperate with other teachers in my school. I think this is the theme that Centropa discussed: students reaching their goals when they are not taught in one single history lesson, but are part of a teaching unit with other subjects like literature, art-history, etc. This presentation showed me how to work together with others without forcing my conception onto them.

Eszter Nemeth,Budapest, Hungary

Lilach’s presentation had a great effect on me. Why—because the students were so involved, active, and proud to do something signifi cant that you could see it all over their faces. They were smiling proudly and I would like to try motivating my students to do something that will show them that they can stand up and make a difference. I already have the experience of putting together an exhibition with my colleagues, and now I would like to try to make exhibition or a short fi lm to-gether with my students

Senka Jankov, Zrenjanin, Serbia

Michal Yousfan presented a very clear presentation where everything was logi-cal in the use of the Goldmann fi lm, From Frankfurt to Tel Aviv, showing how she moved her students along. In addition, Michal was truly committed and very friendly and attentive to me when I came over to her to learn how I could do the same with my students.

Lidia Rozacka, Jastrzebie-Zdrój, Poland

Most of all, I love to listen to teachers share how they use Centropa fi lms in different ways. I pick up great ideas every time. The best three for me were as follows: Michal Yousfan’s presentation was very meaningful, because she based a lesson plan on something she as an Israeli and I as a German can use—the sto-ry of a Jewish woman from Frankfurt who fl ed to Tel Aviv. Listening to an Israeli history teacher speak in detail about using a fi lm set in Germany impressed me greatly. Ettie Avraham’s presentation was fascinating. That Ettie would use a short Centropa fi lm and, just before the ending, stop it and have her students guess the ending—while discussing it all in English—was brilliant. I loved Lisa Sterling's reci-pe-book and her artwork in general, because for me it's useful to open not only the intellectual skills of the students but also the practical and emotional skills.

Frank Grellert, Berlin, Germany


25

KNOWLEDGE + SKILLS = OUTCOMES

Centropa differs from other programs because it enables students to work on their own, to explore and expand knowledge and experience. It also enables teachers to have more productive, interesting, and active approaches with their students, putting to better use all their knowledge about computers and tablets and smart phones. And learning history through personal stories gives a much different per-spective that could have a great impact on students’ hearts, not just on their minds.

Senka Jankov, Zrenjanin, Serbia

Centropa does not only show the victims’ point of view but also how life can change by chance, although horrible things happened to people. Most of all: the stories are often told through kids’ eyes, so I’m sure that helps my younger stu-dents to identify themselves with other peoples’ fates.

Andrea Brunner, Gumpoldskirchen, Austria

Tell us the one thing you are going to do differently this year in school—because you attended our seminar.

Centropa gave me frameworks to use, new ways of teaching that will help me break through the common (and very often ineffective) ways of teaching: I´ve got an idea and all other things I´m obligated to teach (like German grammar) I can subsume (a little hidden), I should say: I can hide boring things under new interesting subjects and so I hope to stimulate student interest on contemporary history and other peoples’ fates, fi nally to educate them about people with moral courage without using appeals.

Andrea Brunner, Gumpoldskirchen, Austria

In regards to Holocaust education, how does Centropa differ—if at all—from other programs you offer students?

I've attended trainings for "boxed curriculums" and none of them left me feeling inspired to bring it back to my students. They were diffi cult to navigate, hundreds of pages that I had to pick through to fi nd what I was looking for. Centropa pro-vides my students with visuals and stories that give them a better understanding.


I like the fact that Centropa materials are not static. Teachers are encouraged to share and "borrow," to expound on, or revise instructional ideas using primary documents.

Cathy Troublefi eld, Norwood, NC

Centropa is so in tune with the common core, as well as with our standards. I will take time and relate as much as I can the materials in various ways. Centropa makes history more realistic for all of us. I am so glad to have this source to share with my students this year. This summer has changed my life due to the exposure you have granted me.

Pat Mallet, Little River, SC

US ING CENTROPA IN THE CLASSROOM



A far deeper impression is made upon students when they can make a personal connection to the material they are studying. For too long, Holocaust education was about numbers, bodies, victimhood, and heroism. The personal stories of real people resonate and stick with students, helping them understand what was lost and, perhaps, what their role may be in preserving this history.

Lilach Taichman, Philadelphia, PA

From my perspective Centropa provides good teaching tools to use primarily while organizing additional classes. These materials are extremely useful in Poland for teaching Eastern European history and Holocaust in a far broader context [which is a very good approach] and teaching about civil society. I like the 'sets of materials'—photos + biographies + movies. The webpage is useful and fairly easy to navigate. I only wish I didn't have to translate almost everything into Polish, so please hurry!

Honorata Michalak, Lodz, Poland

I really like that Centropa's materials are not a one size fi ts all. I am able to take what my students will get from Centropa and fi t it into my specifi c lesson. I like that I can get a really great end result by just using one or two things in a lesson because the materials are all powerful in different ways. I also like that Centropa uses stories to teach the Holocaust and Jewish History. Students need stories to connect themselves with and Centropa gives that. They give a face to a name. My students also connect with Centropa’s stories because they can see themselves as that 14 or 15 year old boy and girl just enjoying their summer before the Nazis came and took over. For so long I think all we taught was the devastation of the Holocaust, but not the beauty of humanity, of how these people lived before, and then when war came, how when an entire society was doing one thing, there where those select few who chose not to follow suit. That they put another per-son's life before theirs because it was the right thing to do. The students I teach are still learning what the right thing to do is and they understand that sometimes doing the right thing is not always the popular thing. My students need to hear and learn this.


You created an atmosphere so conducive to bringing out the best professional talents of the people who attended Centropa, and you provided an environment that was friendly and informal and that encouraged people to make connections

and to build future relationships. In that way, Centropa becomes a family of edu-cators who take pride in their profession, feel passion for their subjects, and who love their students enough to want to bring out the best in them. I really believe that the philosophy behind Centropa and all its available resources gives kids the tools to do this and, as they look at what Centropa has to offer and explore the lives of people in other times and in other places, they also learn more about themselves and the world around them. And during this process, they tap into their own ability to learn and discover, and to connect with the skills of how to learn and think independently and critically.

Lowell Blackman, Herzliya, Israel

To what extent do you feel that Centropa’s materials can broaden your students’ understanding of 20th century European and European Jewish history, outside the strictures of the Holocaust itself?

When you start teaching the Holocaust you will often hear, "Oh, please not again!" As the Centropa approach is different from concentrating on the perpe-trators there is a good chance to get more students (with different nationalities) interested.

Frank Grellert, Berlin, Germany

27

I gained an invaluable global perspective—and a rich appreciation for other cul-tures and points-of-view. I made friends with teachers from many other coun-tries who are all open to continuing with long-distance cooperation. I am now armed with communications and ideas, which will result in the greater interest of students in a given subject.

Liudmila Dubinsky, Rockville, MD

In the Hungarian curriculum we have very little time for the Holocaust and the history of Jews, but Centropa’s materials give us an opportunity to get out of the frame of regular history lessons, and to learn more about Jewish culture—for example, in art lessons.

Eszter Nemeth, Budapest, Hungary

So much appreciation. Centropa was a very profound experience on so many levels. Of course, a program around this particular subject matter and in such a signifi cant locale is bound to be impactful –but this was way beyond all of that. The educational bent to everything was very impressive. I do not know really of another program or conference that approaches teachers with so much respect. I appreciated the staff, (Lauren's) educational stance and eye in all of our conver-sations—I am still processing, as you can imagine, all of the material and trying to begin to chart our next steps.

Rivy Kletenik, Seattle, WA

Centropa does a great job of empowering educators. It does not spoon-feed us but rather provides the resources to do great teaching, the motivation to do great learning, and the training to bring it together in a meaningful way to benefi t our students, our schools, and our colleagues.

Susan Cohn, San Diego, CA

You have brought a new focus to my teaching because I have learned that story-telling is the essence of good teaching. Centropa stories draw students in and act as a bridge to thoughtful learning and refl ection.

Lisa Sterling, Greensboro, NC

Centropa feels that bringing teachers together from different disciplines and countries allows you to cross-pollinate your ideas and best practices. Now that you've spent eight days with us, what do you think of this idea?

It is always so easy to think that our personal perspective on education, or, for that matter, any subject, is the one true and correct perspective. Collaborate with teachers from other cultures and it soon becomes apparent that there are other perspectives that diverge from our own – yet are no less a part of the true and correct understanding of the matter at hand.

Dennis Masur, San Diego, CA


THINGS TO IMPROVEIt would be great if the unscheduled time was a little more varied, e.g. one morn-ing off, one afternoon off, one evening off. This would allow for more time to ex-plore Berlin on our own and to do and see things not part of the CSA. I would like more touring and/or discussions of a topic while we are on-site. Standing in the Soviet war memorial was very powerful. I wish we could have processed that more, just like at the Anhalter Bahnhof, where the Kindertransports left from.

Rachel Bergstein, Washington, DC

It’s your website: please integrate suggested reading / viewing lists (like on the CSA2013 homepage) on various topics. There is so much information but we all know that your staff has some great suggestions of what we should read and watch. You should make that a core of your program.

Lowell Blackman, Herzliya, Israel

1. More time to get to know people on the fi rst day, maybe some sort of speed-dating exercise and more time to get to know each other, i.e. coffee breaks, where we would talk shop, anyway.

2. More time for group work, we sometimes had less than 30 minutes.

3. I would have loved to see the results of the group work in writing. That way it is easier to remember.


Having attended three summer academies, I can tell you that the impact is very different when everyone is in the same hotel. This year, I understood that there was no single big hotel to use in Berlin Mitte, and that’s a shame, because when we are all together, we collaborate more, and I know that’s important for you.

Debbie Harris, Chicago, IL

Give us more time to explore such treasure-chests like the Jewish Museum. Yes, we spent ninety minutes there, but we could have spent double that time. I understand that this comprehensive museum is a bit overwhelming, but we could have benefi ted by spending more time there.

Zsolt Martha, Budapest, Hungary

Things seemed kind of rushed at times. We were quickly moving from one thing to the next and because we were on such a tight schedule we would be really getting into a good conversation and then we would have to cut it short to move on. I think elementary teachers absolutely need to be a part of the program. In my experience, the high school teachers have so much content knowledge and ele-mentary teachers are eager to learn more of that content and have such creative ideas for how to engage their students.




Ilana VolodarskyInstitution: St. Paul Jewish Community Center Position: Russian-Americans Special Projects DirectorCity: St. Paul, MN

Olga Eidelman Institution: Hausner Jewish Day School; Club ZTeaches: Math & TechnologyCity: Santa Clara, CA

Robyn MillerInstitution: Emery Weiner SchoolTeaches: Judaic StudiesCity: Houston, TX, USA

Dennis C. MasurInstitution: Mosad ShalomTeaches: Hebrew & Judaica City: Poway, CA

Liudmila DubinskyInstitution: Shalom Education CenterTeaches: Hebrew & Jewish HistoryCity: Rockville, MD

Susan Cohn Institution: Mosad Shalom Religious SchoolPosition: Director of Education City: San Diego, CA, USA

Rita Sason Institution: Jewish School of AthensTeaches: Hebrew & Jewish Studies City: Athens, Greece

Debbie Harris Institution: Sager-Solomon Schechter Day School; Teaches: Jewish Studies City: Chicago, IL

EU JEWISH

SCHOOLS

NORTH AMERICAN

JEWISH SCHOOLS

Rachel BergsteinInstitution: Charles E. Smith Jewish Day SchoolTeaches: Jewish historyCity: Rockville, MD

Georgina PinterInstitution: Lauder Javne Jewish Community SchoolTeaches: English & Spanish City: Budapest, Hungary

Zsolt MárthaInstitution: Scheiber Sandor Jewish Community SchoolTeaches: English City: Budapest, Hungary

Daniel MaueInstitution: Jewish

High School "Moses Mendelssohn"

Teaches: English City: Berlin, Germnany

Svetlana KutuzovaInstitution: School 550 World ORTTeaches: History & social sciencesCity: St. Petersburg, Russia

Richard A. Gair Institution: Valencia College in OrlandoPosition: Professor of Holocaust StudiesCity: Orlando, FL

Kelly WatsonInstitution: Fishers Jr. High/US Holocaust Memorial MuseumTeaches: English City: Noblesville, IN

Cathy TroublefieldInstitution: South Stanly High SchoolPosition: library teacher; media/tech coordinatorCity: Norwood, NC

Julie Gates Institution: Logger’s Run Middle School Position: History City: Boca Raton, FL

Maureen B. CarterInstitution: School District of Palm Beach CountyPosition: K-12 Holocaust Studies AdministratorCity: West Palm Beach, FL

Tom W. GlaserInstitution: Mater Academy Charter High SchoolTeaches: Social Studies City: Hialeah Gardens, FL

Lisa Sterling Institution: Southeast Guilford High School Position: Art City: Greensboro, NC

31

Shmuel Afek Institution: AJ Heschel High School Teaches: Social Studies, Jewish History City: New York, NY

Zarina AksmanovInstitution: U.M.C.A. Rich Tree AcademyPosition: Teacher trainerCity: TorontoCountry: Canada

Lilach TaichmanInstitution: Jack M. Barrack Hebrew AcademyTeaches: HistoryCity: Philadelphia, PA

Melissa Cohavi Institution: Temple Sinai Position: Director of Education City: Stamford, CT

Rivy Poupko KletenikInstitution: Seattle Hebrew AcademyTeaches: Jewish StudiesCity: Seattle, WA

Marcia Tatz WollnerInstitution: Lawrence Family Jewish Community CenterPosition: Director of School Services & ProgramsCity: La Jolla, CA

Svetlana PinskyInstitution: U.M.C.A. Rich Tree AcademyPosition: School directorCity: TorontoCountry: Canada

Tamás DomonkosInstitution: Sandor Scheiber High SchoolTeaches: Literature & English City: Budapest, Hungary

Irina GeorgievaInstitution: School 550 World ORTTeaches: English & Foreign Literature City: St. Petersburg, Russia

US PUBLICSCHOOLS

Erica WashburnInstitution: James Simons Elementary SchoolTeaches:History & Language ArtsCity: Charleston, SC

Patricia MallettInstitution: North Myrtle Beach High SchoolTeaches: Global Studies II City: Little River, SC

Kelli GerhardtInstitution: D.R. Hill Middle SchoolTeaches: Social Studies City: Spartanburg, SC

Mike IrwinInstitution: Henry Ford

AcademyTeaches: World Studies &

American History City: Detroit, MI

Kelley SimpsonInstitution: North Charleston High SchoolTeaches: Social Studies City: North Charleston, SC

Raymond KnauerInstitution: North Charleston High School Teaches: U.S. History City: North Charleston, SC

Anthony LudwigInstitution: North Charleston High SchoolTeaches: US. History City: North Charleston, SC

Amy Vargas-TonsiInstitution: Duke UniversityPosition: Associate Director, Center for European StudiesCity: Durham, NC

EU PUBLIC

SCHOOLS Jacek JarosInstitution: VI High School Teaches: History & Theory of Knowledge City: Kielce, Poland

Renate MercsanitsInstitution: Wasagymnasium

Teaches: English, history & religion

City: Vienna, Austria

Andrea BrunnerInstitution: Mittelschule GumpoldskirchenTeaches: German, MusicCity: Gumpoldskirchen, Austria

Honorata MichalakInstitution: High School Nr.9Teaches: History & social science City: Lodz, Poland


Lidia RozackaInstitution: Zespol SzkolTeaches: Polish & French City: Jastrzebie Zdroj, Poland

Kamila Dobrzynska Institution: Galicia Jewish Museum Position: Educational Assistant City: Krakow, Poland

´ ´´Aleksandra BuraInstitution: Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. M. Kopernika Teaches: Polish City: Zywiec, Poland

Beata KardasinskaInstitution: III High School in GdanskTeaches: History & English City: Gdansk, Poland

Miroslawa BanakInstitution: Zespol Szkol Ogolnoksztalcacych nr.14Teaches: BiologyCity: Kielce, Poland

Dr. Tímea Onderné SzilágyiInstitution: Gyula Krudy Secondary School Teaches: Hungarian, historyCity: Nyiregyhaza, Hungary

Natália BaglyosInstitution: Sztehlo Gabor Lutheran High SchoolTeaches: German & Math City: Budapest, Hungary

Marko DimitrijevicInstitution: Bora Stankovic High SchoolTeaches: History City: Nis, Serbia

Dusko Veskovski Institution: Memorial Center for the Jews from MacedoniaPosition: Head of department for research, archiving & documentationCity: Skopje, Macedonia

Biljana ShotarovskaInstitution: Gorgija Puleski primary schoolTeaches: Civic education, ethics & religion City: Skopje, Macedonia

Andreas BreunigInstitution: Lessing-GymnasiumTeaches: Latin, Greek, Mathematics, Ethics City: Mannheim, Germany

Kirstin LakebergInstitution: Marie-Kahle-GesamtschuleTeaches: English & German City: Bonn, Germany

Wolfgang BurthInstitution: Hartmanni-GymnasiumTeaches: Religion & History City: Eppingen, Germany

Stefan FooßInstitution: Walther-Rathenau-SchuleTeaches: German & History City: Berlin, Germany

Sascha Wöllert Institution: Gymnasium Bad Nenndorf Teaches: History & German City: Hamburg, Germany

BALKAN PUBLIC

SCHOOLS

ISRAELITEACHERS

Chaya NissimInstitution: Mosinzon high school/ Ministry of EducationTeaches: History City: Kochav Yair

Natalia ShushinInstitution: Shevach Mofet High School Teaches: English City: Bat Yam

Michal Yousfan Institution: Tichon Katznelson Kfar Saba Position: History, Jewish studies, Jewish history City: Kfar Saba

Barbara CaloInstitution: Hof HaCarmel Regional High School Teaches: English City: Menashe

33

Dr. Gyongyi Magone TothInstitution: St. Stephen Secondary SchoolTeaches: Hungarian, City: Kalocsa, Hungary

Nora BaracsInstitution: Széchenyi István SchoolTeaches: History City: Pecs, Hungary

Eszter Matusné NémethInstitution: Klebelsberg Kuno Secondary School Teaches: History & German City: Budapest, Hungary

Vassiliki Keramida Institution: Ministry of Education Position: Scientifi c Consultant City: Athens, Greece

Vaya Papadopoulou Institution: 1st State Senior High School of XanthiPosition: History & Greek City: Xanthi, Greece

Branislava Stevanovic Institution: The 13th Belgrade Grammar School Position: EnglishCity: Belgrade, Serbia

Silvia NadjInstitution: Grammar School SentaTeaches: Computer science City: Senta, Serbia

Senka JankovInstitution: Zrenjaninska GimnazijaTeaches: Constitution & Human RightsCity: Zrenjanin, Serbia

Danica Stefanovic Institution: Citizen’s fund Panonija Position: Teacher trainer; Intercultural educationCity: Novi Sad, Serbia

Asmir HasicicInstitution: Elementary school "Malta" SarajevoTeaches: History City: Sarajevo, Bosnia

Nikola GjorgievskiInstitution: OU IlindenTeaches: Civil Society City: Bitola, Macedonia

Dragan GjorgievskiInstitution: Stiv Naumov Primary schoolTeaches: ReligionCity: Bitola, Macedonia

Horatiu Suciu Institution: Colegiul National "Iulia Hasdeu" Lugoj Position: History City: Lugoj, Romania

Frank GrellertInstitution: Walther-Rathenau-SchuleTeaches: History & German City: Berlin, Germany

Victor GurevichInstitution: Givat Brenner Regional High SchoolTeaches: Hisotry & Civics City: Rehovot

Daniela FeldmanInstitution: Shevach Mofet High SchoolTeaches: English City: Tel Aviv

Yair B. FarbyInstitution: Har’el High School/ Ministry of EducationPosition: History teacher, teacher trainerCity: Beit Zait

Lowell BlackmanInstitution: Atid Lod High School of Arts & SciencesTeaches: English literature & language artsCity: Herzliya

Yonathan Bar-OnInstitution: Leo Baeck Education CenterTeaches: EAL teacher 9th-12th grade City: Haifa

Ettie AvrahamInstitution: Katzanelson High SchoolTeaches: English teacherCity: Kfar Saba

Tal TeremInstitution: Shvilim Democratic school of Pardess HannaPosition: Teacher, Coordinator City: Pardess Hanna

´ˇ´ ´


FINANCIALS STAFF

BUDGET 2013 THE TEAM 2013HOTELS, TRANSPORTATION, MEALSHotel € 33,492 $45,195Meals € 27,855 $37,588Plane tickets € 36,114 $48,734Train tickets € 782 $1,055Public Transport € 1,034 $1,396Bus rentals € 2,866 $3,867Subtotal € 102,143 $137,834

SEMINAR PREPARATION, SPEAKERS, TECHNOLOGYCoordinator seminar preparation Birgit Haberpeuntner € 9,995 $13,487Speakers € 3,514 $4,742Tour guides & museum entrance € 1,639 $2,212Photographer & Video € 5,361 $7,234Printed material: DVDs burned, handouts, fi nal report € 17,236 $23,259Fees for tech and seminar room rental € 6,846 $9,238Subtotal € 44,591 $60,172

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALSMulti-media fi lm, produced for Summer Academy € 27,901 $37,651Website adaptation and blogspots for teachers to use € 2,025 $2,733Subtotal € 29,926 $40,384

STAFF Centropa administration € 57,413 $77,193

TOTAL € 234,073 $315,583

Photo rightSitting: Wolfi Els, our fi lmmaker

Standing, from left: Marcell Kenesei, director for European Jewish schools and director of our Hungarian public schools program

Josephine Evens interned for us in 2013 and assisted Birgit Haberpeutner, our logisitics director. Standing next to Birgit is Ouriel Morgensztern, our tech director, then Ellen van Benschoten, who helped coordinate our visit and researched our Berlin source book.

Sitting, from left, is Lauren Granite, our North America Education Director, and Fabian Rühle, our European public schools director.

Standing (in the blue shirt) is Gideon Lifshitz, who coor-dinated our Israeli programs in 2013. On the right is our director, Edward Serotta

35CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY REPORT 2013

STAFF

THE TEAM 2013


VIENNA & SARAJEVOCENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2014


Centropa’s eighth Summer Academy was our largest and most ambi-tious yet. We brought nearly ninety participants—classroom teach-ers, education ministry offi cials, diplomats, foundation directors, and pedagogical experts from nineteen countries—to Vienna and Sarajevo, with a short stopover in Zagreb. Our objective: to explore a century that began with enormous optimism, when Vienna gave birth to the modern—in art, philosophy, science, and literature—but which descended into wars that saw tens of millions slaughtered and Central Europe’s Jewish communities all but wiped out. The century ended with more bloodletting, yet in the carnage of the Bosnian war in the 1990s, there is a Jewish story to tell, a story that is relevant for all of us: Christians, Muslims, and Jews, Europeans, North Americans, and Israelis.

A favorite parlor game of historians is describing when centuries be-gin and end. We at Centropa believe the clock for the twentieth cen-tury began ticking just before noon on 28 June, 1914, when Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot to death in their open limousine in Sarajevo. That clock ticked on through hot wars and cold until it ran out on 5 April, 1992, when Bosnian Serb snipers in the Sarajevo Holiday Inn opened fi re on demonstrators who had come to say different ethnic groups could indeed live together.

In between those two events, Europe’s great multi-ethnic empires all went down in fl ames, and were replaced by smaller, angry states that turned cruelly on the ethnic minorities that found themselves inside these newly drawn borders. Those hatreds made it easy for Adolf Hitler to turn one irredentist state against one another while blaming all the world’s ills on his one abiding obsession: the Jews.

There were more than one hundred seventy fi ve thousand Jews in Vienna that day in 1938 when the Germans streamed over the Austrian border, unhindered and unopposed. Until that day, those Jews had been working as industrials and street sweepers, bankers

and shopkeepers, scientists and tram drivers. And every one of them would soon be marked for destruction. More than one hundred twenty thousand managed to fl ee; sixty-fi ve thousand were deported to their deaths.

The Jewish community that gave the world Sigmund Freud, Theodor Herzl, Gustav Mahler, Stefan Zweig and so many others was no more. The brilliance that Jews brought to Vienna was turned off like a light.

Five hundred miles to the south, some ten thousand Jews lived in Sarajevo, and most of them were Sephardic Jews who traced their roots to the Spanish expulsion in 1492. They had lived in this com-plex mulit-ethnic Balkan land among Muslims and Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox. These Jews, too, were slated for destruction. Starting in 1941 and 1942, around eight thousand met their deaths at the hands of the Nazis and their local counterparts, the Ustashe of Croatia. But most Bosnian Jews who survived the Second World War did so by joining Tito’s Communist Partizans. Some sought protection and shelter, but three thousand Yugoslav Jews joined the Partizans with a specifi c goal in mind: so they could fi ght back. Those few Jews who returned to Sarajevo at war’s end had survived by being tough. And when the fi rst shells crashed into the city in April 1992, the few remaining Holocaust survivors opened the doors to their synagogue and let the city in.

We visited Vienna and Sarajevo one hundred years after the western world went down in fl ames so we could study the cultural accom-plishments of Central Europe’s Jews, commemorate their destruc-tion during the Holocaust, and pay tribute to a band of Sephardic Jews, who in the darkest night before the century’s end taught their Muslim, Serbian, and Croatian friends and neighbors the lesson they had been learning for centuries: how to survive.

JOURNEY THROUGH A RU INOUS CENTURYCOMMEMORATING THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

The extermination of the past—by design, by neglect, by good inten-tion—is what character-izes the history of our time. That is why the ahistorical memory of a marginal community that found itself in the whirl-wind may yet be the best guide to our era.

Tony Judt,essay in The New Republic, 1996, "The Jewish Europe of Manes Sperber"


VIENNA AND THE MODERN AGEBUILDING A KNOWLEDGE BASE

Earlier in this publication, we described how Berlin reached its creative peak during that brief thirteen-year window of the Weimar Republic, before the Nazis took power in 1933 and sent so many creative giants scurrying for safety.

Vienna’s day in the sun came before that and lasted longer: her golden age burned brightly from the late 1880s until the First World War doused it. Even afterwards, it fl ickered for a while, although today’s Vienna is but a museum to her greatness. To the city’s credit, it is a very good museum indeed.

We spent part of every day in Vienna meeting with world-class historians such as Paul Miller, an expert on the origins of the First World War, and Philipp Blom, an award-winning historian who described Europe before the deluge. We also walked the streets to see where history took place, and met with experts specializing in Gustav Klimt and art restitution. Best of all, we spent several hours with Vienna’s elderly interviewees. All this was meant to help build a knowledge base for our par-ticipants; we wanted them to see, feel, and hear about this golden time, and come face to face with it.

That is why we spent an afternoon in the elegantly re-designed Jewish Museum; it was why we were welcomed in the Belvedere Museum to see the Schieles and Klimts and meet with its curators and guides, and it was why, on our last morning, we stood in front of the car that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie sat in that fateful morning in Sarajevo, one hundred years ago.


We love the elderly Jews we spent a decade interviewing. That is why we meet with them every month, and whenever we hold a Summer Academy in Vienna, we bring our teachers to meet with them.

WHEN HISTORY HAS A NAME, A FACE , A STORY

For me, one of the most profound experiences during CSA was meeting Dr. Robert Rosner. The thoughtful way Centropa organized that event to provide one-on-one time is really something you can't get in other situations. This experi-ence was markedly different from my other meetings with Holocaust survivors be-cause Centropa staff ensured that each participant was paired with a survivor for two special times—a conversation that provided the survivor time to tell his/her story, and then a lovely lunch to continue getting to know each other in a casual, welcoming environment. Providing personal stories is one of the most powerful resources educators can use when teaching about the Holocaust. Dr. Rosner's story is a moving testament to the impact one person willing to help another can make. This is a story my students will not forget.

Brittany Morefi eld, Jamestown, NC


One of the most rewarding programs during the Summer Academy was the meeting in Vienna with Holocaust survivors. We were organized into small groups and had the opportunity to talk to two elderly people. I was especially fortu-nate because by sheer luck I not only met someone with whom I share the same surname, Goldmann, but she happened to be a survivor from the Hungarian town of Szombathely, where I teach Jewish history! The lady, Gabriela Goldmann, was genuinely moved to learn how much I knew (including the names and stories of other Jewish families she knew). I learned that she belonged to the only surviv-ing Jewish family in Szombathely, where all the members (her sister, mother, and herself who had been sent to Auschwitz, as well as her father who had been on forced labor) all returned. We spoke non-stop in Hungarian over lunch, discussing many other things that happened to her after the Holocaust. At the end of the beautiful time we spent together, I invited her to visit Szombathely and offered to show her the town, the school she went to, and the leaders of the local Jewish community. I would be very happy if we could record the event in the form of a documentary fi lm.

Marta Goldmann, Szombathely, Hungary

45

Meeting the seniors was one of the most enriching experiences of the Centropa Summer Academy. Talking with them, listening to their stories, and sensing their sadness about the bad times, then laughing with them when talking about their good moments will have an impact in my memory that will last forever, not only as a teacher but as a human being. I connected with the seniors I met emotion-ally and that connection will impact my teaching since I will relate history with two beautiful souls I met and who suffered during the war. It was very interest-ing speaking with them in Spanish and seeing in their faces the happiness when talking about their lives in Bolivia and Venezuela and also their tears when ex-plaining their sufferings during the war. One of them gave us a present, Jewish Fairytales and Legends, that I plan to share with my students.

Katiusca Cirino, Houston, TX

In Budapest, the Centropa offi ce holds meetings with the elderly Holocaust survivors they interviewed, and I have treasured my meetings with them there. I know of no oral history institute that does such a thing—hosting the people they interviewed! I was therefore not surprised to fi nd myself at the Summer Academy sitting with several elderly Viennese survivors. To meet these Austrian Jews, with their own stories of growing up here, fl eeing in time, and then returning to start again was deeply moving to me

Ferenc Peragovics, Esztergom, Hungary


KL IMT, SCH I ELE AND VI ENNA 1900

The Belvedere Museum is an impressive place to view its world-famous paintings. So many Klimts, Kokoschkas, and Schieles, and that we had both guides and curators tell us about them made it even better. I very much enjoyed the Friday night service in the City Temple. Having never been to an Orthodox synagogue before, it was a very new experience – it was something that the chief rabbi addressed our group as welcome guests.

Kirstin Lakeberg Bonn, Germany


There is no point in traveling to these cities and sitting in conference rooms all day. Centropa maximizes each participant's opportunity to learn on these trips by exposing them to not only the history we read up on and discussed, but also the culture and the 'feel' of the cities. That we were able to walk through imperial Vienna with a historian like Paul Miller, listen to Philipp Blom on pre World War One Vienna and then visit the National Library, the Jewish Museum, the Belvedere, and the Applied Arts Museum was a history teacher’s dream.

Anthony Ludwig Charleston, NC

47

At fi rst I was skeptical about reading our assigned book, The Hare with the Amber Eyes, by Edmund de Waal. And the fi rst chapters only confi rmed my doubt. But then the author brings us to Vienna and the years before and during the Second World War. Now I understand why people are greatly moved by this remarkable book. But it was even more brilliant to complement our reading of the book with our visit to the Museum of Applied Arts to see all the creative output of Wiener Werkstätte. The furniture, the silverware, the artwork all told of time of great ferment. Then we got to view the Gustav Klimt paintings in the Belvedere Museum. These were mutually reinforcing activities, and they shed light on the role of Jewish communities in the process. Reading de Waal’s book was a great experience.

Ferenc Peragovics Esztergom, Hungary


T H E N AT I O N A L L I B R A R Y A N D T H E M I L I TA R Y M U S E U M

Two things about Vienna haunt me, and in very different ways. First, the visit to the Military Museum. Aside from that famous car of Franz Ferdinand, I could not believe the size of the great cannons and artillery. They must have felt safe behind them, and then all those colorful uniforms of the Bosnians, Hungarians, the Croatians—all soldiers to an Empire that was about to die. How absurd and comical they look now. But then there were the lectures by Phillip Blom and Paul Miller, which drew a picture of Europe pre-1914. Their lectures—which they gave with such style and hu-mor—made me want to order all their books and dig into this story. Being in Vienna and coming face to face with all this was simply inspiring.

Victor Gurevich Rehovot, Israel


49

"I will simplify it as follows: the power of a once-grand empire, the magnifi cence of a society that had no idea it was about to collapse, the denial of wrong actions during the Holocaust, the restitution, culture in every corner, the art and the music and the cafés—this is what I took away from our time in Vienna."

Katiusca Cirino Houston, TX

We had great tour guides in the Vienna Jewish Museum and Belvedere and I loved everything they showed us. It was very powerful to be with seniors and see them attend the Friday night services. I loved learning about the life of Jews in Vienna be-fore the war, not only from our materials but also from people I met with. It will help me "paint a picture" of Jewish life before the World Wars, Jewish contributions to Viennese culture and glimpses of who they were before the 1930's. We often teach the World Wars and then talk about the Holocaust and leave out the world that was destroyed. That's why I liked the book, The Hare with Amber Eyes. It depicts life for Jews in Europe before the wars. I am going to teach what life was like for Jews in Europe before the Holocaust as well as how they rebuilt their lives after.

Lisa Cain Charleston, SC


SPEAKERS IN VI ENNA

Sonja Wehsely, a long time friend of Centropa, is the city of Vienna's Executive Councillor for Public Health and Social Affairs. Her department is one of Café Centropa’s main support-ers. Sonja’s own father, who is Jewish, survived the Holocaust by fl eeing Nazi-occupied Austria just in time, then returned to build a political career. Like father, like daughter: Sonja studied law at the University of Vienna and graduat-ed in 1995. Always involved with Social Democratic politics, in 1996, Sonja Wehsely became a member of Vienna's municipal council. Sonja was appointed City Councillor for Integration, Women's Issues, Consumer Protection and Personnel, and in 2007, she assumed her current position.

Centropa’s club for our Holocaust survi-vors is funded by three Austrian insti-tutions and one of them is the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, where Rudolf Hundstorfer is the Minister. A member of the Socialist party, Rudolf Hundstorfer has been active in Austrian unions since the early 1970s and became the president of the Austrian Trade Union Federation in 2007. He has held several positions in the Socialist party, and in 2008 he was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection for the fi rst time.

It seems unlikely that the President of a National Bank would gladly agree to meet with a group of teachers during his summer vacation but Claus Raidl has done this for us three times. Indeed, the National Bank even sponsored our lunch that day. Claus Raidl is a great believer in Centropa because in the 1950s Claus was accepted as an exchange stu-dent in the US. "It changed everything about how I see the world," he told us. Claus studied Economics in Vienna and obtained his doctorate in 1971. He held leading positions in some of the country’s largest fi rms, such as such as VOEST Alpine and Böhler-Uddeholm. Dr. Raidl is married and has three sons. He is a member of the ÖVP, the Austrian People’s Party.


We asked Philipp Blom, a native of Hamburg, to speak to our group be-cause of his highly acclaimed book, The Vertigo Years, a study of pre-World War One Europe. After university studies in Vienna and Oxford, he obtained a D.Phil. in Modern History. He has worked as an editor, translator, writer, and freelance journalist, contributing to newspapers, magazines, and radio programs in Great Britain, the US, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and France. Philipp’s current project is "At Breaking Point," a historical overview of culture and life during the interwar period in Europe and the United States.

51

In 1995, Hannah Lessing gave up a successful career in banking to be-come the fi rst General Secretary of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism and, later, the General Settlement Fund. Hannah heads an offi ce of hundreds of researchers and attorneys who have distributed half a billion dollars to vic-tims and families. The National Fund also supports Holocaust education programs and in this capacity is Centropa’s largest Austrian donor. Hannah serves on nu-merous international boards, all involved with Holocaust education, to which she is greatly committed. Hannah comes to this subject through a personal connec-tion. Her own grandmother and great grandmother were sent to their deaths during the Holocaust.

Silvia Friedrich is a long-time sup-porter and friend of Centropa. Silvia is the Deputy Director of Vienna’s Chief Executive Offi ce for European and International Affairs, as well as the club chairman for the Christian Democratic and Conservative Austrian People’s Party in Vienna’s 19th district. Silvia has been working for the city of Vienna in various positions for more than 30 years.

Ingo Zechner is a philosopher and his-torian by training. From 2000 to 2008 he was an academic staff member at the Jewish Community Vienna, serving as Head of the Community’s Holocaust Victims’ Information and Support Center from 2003 to 2008. In 2009 he was the Business Manager of the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies. Currently he is the Associate Director of the IFK, International Research Center for Cultural Studies in Vienna. Since 2010 he has also been a participant and Project Manager of several independent research projects, including the project, "Ephemeral Films: National Socialism in Austria," which has been ongoing since 2011.

If there is anyone who can speak of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination with more knowledge than Paul Miller we haven’t met them. Paul received his Ph.D. in modern European history from Yale, then worked at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as an editor of the journal Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Since 1998, he has taught at various universities, e.g., McDaniel College in Westminster, the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the International University of Sarajevo. From 2011-13, Miller was a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Birmingham, where he worked on a book about the memory of the Sarajevo assassination (28 June 1914: A Day in History and Memory). He is also writing a general history of the assassi-nation for Oxford University Press.


INTERLUDE IN ZAGREBBALKAN ROAD TRIP

On the fourth day of our Summer Academy, we drove from Vienna to Zagreb, where we found ourselves in what had been one of the regional capitals of the Habsburg Empire. A lovely manicured park, complete with a trellised bandstand built for the Austro-Hungarian army band to play in, dominates Zagreb. Crowning the city is the hilltop Gorni Grad, a warren of cobbled alleys and baroque houses, looking like a quieter, less touristy version of Prague.

To spend an evening with Slavko Goldstein is a rare honor. One of Croatia’s leading public intellectuals, in his eight decades Slavko Goldstein has worked as a journalist, an editor, a publisher, a historian, and a political activist. But at the age of thirteen, he joined Tito’s communist Partizans, as he, his mother and brother fl ed to safety while his father Ivo, a bookstore owner, was arrested and was never seen again.

Slavko’s highly acclaimed memoir, 1941: The Year that Keeps Returning, explores the horrors of Croatia during the Second World War, and ends fi fty years later with neighboring Serb and Croatian villages once again turning on each other.

Slavko was accompanied by the Zagreb Jewish school's directors and several of their teachers, as well as Natali Lulic Grozdanoski of the cultural department of the Croatian Foreign Ministry.

The following day, we drove another 230 miles, leaving Croatia, traversing Republika Srbska, and arrived in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. En route, the frumpy Habsburg Catholic churches gave way to Serbian Orthodox churches. Where mosques had once stood in Republika Srbska, few were to be seen as dozens had been razed. What we did see were scores of burned-out houses raked with bullet holes; mementos of ethnic cleansing, the signature of those who felt it was impos-sible to live with people of other religions. And then we entered the city that one of our teachers described as a place of "so much pain and beauty at the same time."

´


SARAJEVOWHERE THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BEGAN—AND ENDED

We spent four intensive days in this city where East meets West, where elegant mosques and an Ottoman-built synagogue served worshippers cheek by jowl forty years before the pilgrims ever found religious freedom in America.

Visiting Sarajevo is like going through a time warp—on foot. Our hotel, the Europe, sat on the fault line where the Austrian section of the city was built after the Habsburgs wrested Bosnia Herzegovina from the Ottomans in 1878. Here the buildings are frumpy Viennese neo-Baroque, most of them painted a cheerful pink, ochre, and cream, all of them human-scaled—two and three stories. But then cross that invisible line and you are walking across paving stones laid down in the 1500s; you follow them past splashing fountains in tree-shaded courtyards, loom-ing mosques, and Ottoman-era bazaars and water pipe cafes. Turn a corner and there’s a seventeenth century Serbian church, turn another corner and a soaring nineteenth century Catholic cathedral dominates a square. Open a gate and you’re standing in the courtyard of a seventeeth century synagogue.

But there are also reminders of carnage and murder here, and not only of the de-portation of the city’s Jewish population during the Holocaust. More Sarajevans—of every religion—were shot down or blown up during the Bosnian Serb siege of the city in the 1990s.

Our scholar-in-residence was Ben Gurion University’s Sephardic scholar Eliezer Papo. Jewish community leader Jakob Finci told us how the Jewish community helped an entire city during the 1990s war, and US Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Douglas Davidson fl ew in from Washington for a panel discussion about re-building Bosnia with Austrian Foreign Ministry Balkan expert Martin Pammer.


The "City as Classroom" was the best part of the sem-inar and all the tours we had were really interesting and broadened our horizons as teachers. The Tunnel Museum and that public cemetery left a mark on me because it's the history of today. These were the sites that showed us there is an open trauma for both Bosnians & Serbians and also Europeans and world citizens.

Kostas KorresRhodes, Greece

WALKING THROUGH H ISTORY IN A C ITY WITH OPEN SCARSBUILDING A KNOWLEDGE BASE

Two cemeteries in Sarajevo bookended our Summer Academy in this Balkan city. On a high hill overlooking the city, oblong Sephardic Jewish tombstones climb the hillside, some of them dating back to the sixteenth century. It is a hauntingly beautiful place. Not far away, thousands upon thousands of graves dating from 1992 until 1995 sweep across a well-maintained public cemetery—victims of lives cut short in a senseless, hideous ethnic war.

I am very glad we weren´t restricted "only" to the Holocaust, but Centropa enabled us—as history teachers—to look into the former Yugoslavia….My family used to travel to Croatia with our children, so I remember the destroyed homes and enormous new cemeteries, but seeing them as a teacher accompa-nied by other teachers was somehow a surprise and I felt so uncomfortable. Driving from Zagreb to Sarajevo through Srbska, we passed burned out homes. Then we walked through Sarajevo and went to the ceme-teries and the Tunnel Museum. In those few days we were in Bosnia, it felt as if the war had ended just yesterday.

Martina KalcikovaBrno, Czech Republic

57

To go to the Tunnel Museum in Sarajevo and see how the city was kept alive was deeply moving. But then we saw the public cemetery with so very many graves from the war and read that story of Romeo and Juliet, and then the Jewish cemetery, which had been the front line between the Bosnian Serbs and the Bosnian govern-ment. The Jewish cemetery defi nitely left a mark on me. Simply seeing the bullet holes in buildings was powerful, but to see the Jewish cemetery ravaged by mines and bullet holes was shocking.

Shira AndrophyBoston, MS

I really enjoyed our tour of Sarajevo and the visit to the Tunnel Museum, the Jewish cemetery and the public cemetery with its graves from the recent war. I know the Tunnel Museum stirred up some passion but I thought that was a great insight into the reality of the situation. You saw the emotion, the suffering, the pain, the loss, and the NEED for such a program like Centropa. It helps one refl ect on their own communities, their own teaching, and how much we must understand that the sto-ries we shape have such a profound impact.

Aaron Markham Houston, TX

Being in Sarajevo changed me, as a person and as a professional. Having that experi-ence, and actually seeing fi rst hand what the people survived, brought a whole new world of understanding to me that I will never forget. The teachers from Serbia were magnifi cent in their comments about facing the past of their country and related on a human level to the teachers from other affected countries.

Barbara Hairfi eld Charleston, SC

Sarajevo was a place like no other. East meeting West is such an easy concept to read about and to just talk about, but it’s a much harder concept to understand when you are facing it. Seeing such a special place in person will and has changed my view on the world, and has challenged what I know about it. I now must go out and learn more about the area to try and help understand what I really saw.

Paul Puccinelli Marion County, SC


The "City as Classroom" was the best part of the sem-inar and all the tours we had were really interesting and broadened our horizons as teachers. The Tunnel Museum and that public cemetery left a mark on me because it's the history of today. These were the sites that showed us there is an open trauma for both Bosnians & Serbians and also Europeans and world citizens.

Kostas KorresRhodes, Greece

WALKING THROUGH H ISTORY IN A C ITY WITH OPEN SCARSBUILDING A KNOWLEDGE BASE

Two cemeteries in Sarajevo bookended our Summer Academy in this Balkan city. On a high hill overlooking the city, oblong Sephardic Jewish tombstones climb the hillside, some of them dating back to the sixteenth century. It is a hauntingly beautiful place. Not far away, thousands upon thousands of graves dating from 1992 until 1995 sweep across a well-maintained public cemetery—victims of lives cut short in a senseless, hideous ethnic war.

I am very glad we weren´t restricted "only" to the Holocaust, but Centropa enabled us—as history teachers—to look into the former Yugoslavia….My family used to travel to Croatia with our children, so I remember the destroyed homes and enormous new cemeteries, but seeing them as a teacher accompa-nied by other teachers was somehow a surprise and I felt so uncomfortable. Driving from Zagreb to Sarajevo through Srbska, we passed burned out homes. Then we walked through Sarajevo and went to the ceme-teries and the Tunnel Museum. In those few days we were in Bosnia, it felt as if the war had ended just yesterday.

Martina KalcikovaBrno, Czech Republic



I thoroughly enjoyed the breadth and depth that was provided regarding WWI and Bosnia in the 1990s. I was initially expecting a deep focus on the Holocaust, which is absolutely fi ne, but one that I have covered in other programs. This pro-gram offered something uniquely informative that I can bring back to my students through fi lm and projects. I came back with a lot of great resources about two topics that are frankly overlooked in our World History curriculum, but with a de-sire to not just incorporate them more seriously and make them a vital and vibrant part of my classroom experience.

Aaron Markham, Houston. TX

I learned so much about World War I as well as the Bosnian War and the breakup of Communism. As a literature and fine arts teacher, I had not spent as much time on these aspects of European history as I had on the Holocaust. Now I have an intense desire to learn more about World War I as well as the fall of Communism. Ed is an amazing wealth of information—I truly loved how he gave the information in an easy "story like" way so that you as a learner do not get lost in statistics—but he gave stories of the lives affected by the wars.

Denise Deveaux, Charleston, SC

59

What really keeps me busy thinking are the experiences I had in Sarajevo. I've never been closer to the aftermath of a war and seen and heard what it does to people. I am deeply affected in the truest sense. It has changed my understanding of the Balkans, its history and today's situa-tion fundamentally.


I am convinced that it's true about most of the Centropa resources: they are universal—they can be used in teaching various subjects, at different levels, they may be connected to a whole range of topics. If you want your teaching to be up to the requirements of the XXI century, if you want your students to remember most of what you teach them—you MUST use Centropa.

Natalia Shushin, Bat Yam, Israel

The Balkan part of the seminar really broadened my under-standing of the 20th century, especially its last two decades. Not only have I learned historic facts I did not know, but the journey helped me acquire a different perspective on the Balkans: on the road trip from Vienna to Sarajevo we watched as Croats and Bosnians on their bicycles now had to go through borders that didn’t even exist twenty years ago. Then there was the problemat-ic relationship between the Bosnians and the Serbs. These are all topics that made me seriously refl ect on the post war years and nationalism.

Konstantina Andrianopoulou, Athens, Greece



I thoroughly enjoyed the breadth and depth that was provided regarding WWI and Bosnia in the 1990s. I was initially expecting a deep focus on the Holocaust, which is absolutely fi ne, but one that I have covered in other programs. This pro-gram offered something uniquely informative that I can bring back to my students through fi lm and projects. I came back with a lot of great resources about two topics that are frankly overlooked in our World History curriculum, but with a de-sire to not just incorporate them more seriously and make them a vital and vibrant part of my classroom experience.

Aaron Markham, Houston. TX

I learned so much about World War I as well as the Bosnian War and the breakup of Communism. As a literature and fine arts teacher, I had not spent as much time on these aspects of European history as I had on the Holocaust. Now I have an intense desire to learn more about World War I as well as the fall of Communism. Ed is an amazing wealth of information—I truly loved how he gave the information in an easy "story like" way so that you as a learner do not get lost in statistics—but he gave stories of the lives affected by the wars.

Denise Deveaux, Charleston, SC


THE S I EGE OF SARAJEVO AND LA BENEVOLENCIJATHE MEANING OF NEVER AGAIN

Words matter; defi nitions count. And since genocide is still very much with us, the term "never again" has lost its currency. At Centropa, we believe that studying the Holocaust will not prevent another one. But we can and should study what good people do in times of extreme stress. During our Summer Academy 2013 in Berlin, we skyped with Eyal Press, whose thought-provoking book, Beautiful Souls, de-scribed people who knew that helping others would very likely hurt them. Yet they could not stop themselves: they had to reach inside and call on their moral inner strength.

On 5 April, 1992, when the fi rst Bosnian Serb shells began crashing into Sarajevo, most of its citizens were shocked; they thought war would never come. Yet the Jewish community had been busy stocking their community center with food, fi nding overseas suppliers for medicine, and stashing away clothing for months. Sarajevo’s Jews remembered what happened in 1941 when they had not been prepared. Now they were. They even plastered a sign on their synagogue door. It read, "La Benevolencija," Ladino for "good will." Who was working there? Jews and

Bosniak Muslims, Catholic Croats and Serbian Orthodox. Who were they going to help? Anyone who walked in.

Over the three plus years of the siege, La Benevolencija ladled out tens of thou-sands of hot meals, distributed hundreds of thousands of medical prescriptions, delivered more than ninety-thousand letters, ran a two-way radio connected to the Jewish communities in Zagreb and Belgrade, and ran eleven rescue convoys out of the city, bringing well more than nine hundred souls to safety.

That all this was initiated by Holocaust survivors and their families made La Benevolencija’s efforts all the more meaningful. And this is why we came to Sarajevo: to pay tribute to one of the most remarkable Jewish stories that took place since the Second World War—when Jews and Muslims, Serbs and Croats, joined in to stand up to hate, and dole out food, medicine, and hope in equal mea-sure. It is a story that every teenager, in every land, needs to understand.


So you’re interested in working with partner schools in the Balkans? It’s easy. Just keep in mind these simple ground rules. Macedonians cannot abide the fact that Bulgaria has neither admitted to nor apologized for deporting eleven thousand Macedonian and Greek Jews during the Holocaust. Greece does not recognize Macedonia’s name. Tension between the Macedonian Muslims and the great-er population is high, but their enmity does not rival the friction between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians. When street signs written in Cyrillic were put up in the Croatian city of Vukovar, crowds tore them down. When an EU-funded school in the Herzegovinian city of Mostar was told it would have to serve both Bosniak Muslim and Catholic Croat children, the directors complied—but only to a point. Today, Bosniak children attend in the morning. After they leave the Croat children arrive. As for Gavrilo Princip, whose pistol shots started the First World War, is he a villain or a hero? In this part of the world, that depends on who you ask.

With so much salt being poured into the soup, who would want to sip from this broth? The answer is surprising because, by and large, a huge percentage of class-room teachers in these countries want to fi nd common ground. That is why we brought to our Summer Academy fourteen teachers from the Bosnian Federation, Republika Srbska, Slovenia, Serbia, and Macedonia. We drew them from the one hundred twenty teachers we work with in these countries.

Each successor state of Yugoslavia is now re-writing the last thousand years of its own history, though several international NGOs are making a valiant effort to create a common narrative that schools throughout the region can use. We at Centropa see our role as trying to connect teachers, and their students, to the fact that no matter who and what they are, they all had Jews living among them for hundreds of years. By bringing these Balkan teachers to our Summer Academy in Sarajevo to explore how a tiny band of Holocaust survivors—ethnic cleansing victims of an earlier war—had turned their synagogue into a free and open house for all, we provided them with a bridge on which they could meet and try to fi nd ways to reconnect.

The results were not seamless. There were disagreements, misunderstandings, deeply hurt feelings—especially when we visited the Tunnel Museum, the site where a secret tunnel had been built by Sarajevans during the war to help keep the city supplied. The photographs and videos shown there were exceptionally brutal (but then, so was the siege). Worse, however, was the guide who painted all Serbs with broad brushstrokes, no matter where they lived, no matter, it seems, how old or young they were. We feel it is important to share some of these disagreements with our readers, yet we also share with you the point all our Balkan teachers made: how much they want to work together.

FIND ING COMMON GROUND IN A WAR-RAVAGED LANDPAIN, HISTORY, AND THE BALKANS

Stella Matosovic Vera Isailovic Tatjana Juric Ana Sesar Biljana Stojanovic Marko Dimitrijevic

63

As you know, my group was the most shaken at the Tunnel Museum. We have a completely different perspective on the siege of Sarajevo. Most of us were hurt at the equalization of ordinary people with criminals who belong to my people.

Vera Isailovic, Novi Sad, Serbia

A very important thing for the Balkan teachers is to speak about 20th century in the former Yugoslavia. When we speak and work together we can create a common platform for learning about the war in ex-Yugoslavia and also we can better understand Jewish history, too. This was the very fi rst seminar where I could speak and work with my Bosnian, Croatian, and Slovene colleagues. As for the places we visited in Sarajevo, all of them left a mark on me, but especially the Tunnel museum because it was such a sad experience for me. I concluded that we (Balkan teachers) need to sit and work together. Facing our common history, USING THE RIGHT TERMS and teaching for a better future in this area is CRUCIAL!!!

Marko Dimitrijevic, Nis, Serbia

The Tunnel Museum left a mark on me—because in this place I had a meeting with the past, more than at any other place.

Biljana Stojanovic, Belgrade, Serbia

I didn't like when teachers from Serbia made that speech after visiting the Tunnel. I think that all that was unnecessary. This topic is still fresh and we (Croats, Bosnians, and Serbs) could talk about it all day.

Ana Sesar, Zagreb, Croatia

I am not only a historian from Sarajevo, I lived through the war. I survived (some-how) but I lost my husband, my father-in-law, many friends and had a miscarriage which means I lost a child. I don’t really go to the Tunnel Museum, and when I go to the public cemetery, which we could now call the War Cemetery, I always go alone. Going with a big group was very stressful for me but I felt I should go. But it returned me to the past and it woke up awful memories...... That day, for me, I was with a great effort trying to concentrate on other activities. I thank all who gave me support.

Stella Matosovic, Sarajevo, Bosnia

I totally support Centropa’s concept of using the city as a classroom — learning through the journey. Through travel I myself have learned almost the same amount of useful information in my life as I did in my studies. But I didn't under-

*Tatjana is referring to this speech, delivered by Vaclav Havel, 15 March 1990, during the offi cial visit of West German President Richard von Weizsacker. On this date in 1938, Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and dismembered it.

"We have to understand that it was not the German nation that caused our agony, but particular human individuals. Spite, blind obedience, indifference to our fellow man all these are characteristics of people, not of nations…It was, in fact, the Nazis who treacherously identifi ed their affairs with the affairs of Germany. We cannot follow in their footsteps! If we accepted their lie as our own, we would only be passing the torch of their destructive errors on to others…To judge some-one on the basis of his language, the color of his skin, his origin, or the shape of his nose is to be, consciously or unconsciously, a racist. To speak abusively about Germans in general, about Vietnamese, or about members of any other nation, is to condemn them merely for their nationality. To fear them only for that reason is the same as being antisemitic."

stand why we went to the Tunnel Museum. It is not an offi cial museum, and there is no professional staff working there. All of us knew there was a horrible siege of Sarajevo and that citizens of Sarajevo suffered a lot. And, yes, we all know that Bosnian Serbs did it.

But, if there is no collective guilt, as Ed pointed out several times by referring to what Vaclav Havel once said about the Germans* (and I appreciate it) what was the point of this visit? If the individuals, who were responsible for the war crimes in the Bosnian war are on trial in The Hague, and many offi cers of the Serbian army and politicians are already proclaimed guilty, or even came home after spending long years in prison (Biljana Plavsic and Momcilo Krajisnik), what is the point of the hate speech by that man in the Tunnel Museum?

What do Serbs anywhere in the world need to do in order to receive some un-derstanding and to stop being hated so much? I don't understand what Bosnians want to achieve. The visit of the Tunnel Museum was eye-opening for me because I realized how much Bosnian Muslims still, twenty years after the end of the war, hate Serbs and blame them for dozens of bad things. What is even more import-ant, they spread that (propaganda) message to delegations from abroad. I am not sure how that helps reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It didn't upset me, it didn't offend me, it just made me feel very sad.

Tatjana Juric, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

FIND ING COMMON GROUND IN A WAR-RAVAGED LAND


So you’re interested in working with partner schools in the Balkans? It’s easy. Just keep in mind these simple ground rules. Macedonians cannot abide the fact that Bulgaria has neither admitted to nor apologized for deporting eleven thousand Macedonian and Greek Jews during the Holocaust. Greece does not recognize Macedonia’s name. Tension between the Macedonian Muslims and the great-er population is high, but their enmity does not rival the friction between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians. When street signs written in Cyrillic were put up in the Croatian city of Vukovar, crowds tore them down. When an EU-funded school in the Herzegovinian city of Mostar was told it would have to serve both Bosniak Muslim and Catholic Croat children, the directors complied—but only to a point. Today, Bosniak children attend in the morning. After they leave the Croat children arrive. As for Gavrilo Princip, whose pistol shots started the First World War, is he a villain or a hero? In this part of the world, that depends on who you ask.

With so much salt being poured into the soup, who would want to sip from this broth? The answer is surprising because, by and large, a huge percentage of class-room teachers in these countries want to fi nd common ground. That is why we brought to our Summer Academy fourteen teachers from the Bosnian Federation, Republika Srbska, Slovenia, Serbia, and Macedonia. We drew them from the one hundred twenty teachers we work with in these countries.

Each successor state of Yugoslavia is now re-writing the last thousand years of its own history, though several international NGOs are making a valiant effort to create a common narrative that schools throughout the region can use. We at Centropa see our role as trying to connect teachers, and their students, to the fact that no matter who and what they are, they all had Jews living among them for hundreds of years. By bringing these Balkan teachers to our Summer Academy in Sarajevo to explore how a tiny band of Holocaust survivors—ethnic cleansing victims of an earlier war—had turned their synagogue into a free and open house for all, we provided them with a bridge on which they could meet and try to fi nd ways to reconnect.

The results were not seamless. There were disagreements, misunderstandings, deeply hurt feelings—especially when we visited the Tunnel Museum, the site where a secret tunnel had been built by Sarajevans during the war to help keep the city supplied. The photographs and videos shown there were exceptionally brutal (but then, so was the siege). Worse, however, was the guide who painted all Serbs with broad brushstrokes, no matter where they lived, no matter, it seems, how old or young they were. We feel it is important to share some of these disagreements with our readers, yet we also share with you the point all our Balkan teachers made: how much they want to work together.

FIND ING COMMON GROUND IN A WAR-RAVAGED LANDPAIN, HISTORY, AND THE BALKANS

Stella Matosovic Vera Isailovic Tatjana Juric Ana Sesar Biljana Stojanovic Marko Dimitrijevic


OUR SPEAKERS IN SARAJEVO

No one can bring the Balkan Sephardim to life like Dr Eliezer Papo, who teach-es Jewish folklore, oral Jewish litera-tures, and Judeo-Spanish culture at Ben Gurion University in Israel. And Eliezer can do it in English, Hebrew, Bosnian and Ladino. Born in Sarajevo, Eliezer fi rst received a B.A. in law from the University of Sarajevo, a degree in rabbinics from the Midrash Sepharadi in Jerusalem, an M.A. in Jewish languages in literature from The Hebrew University, and a Ph.D. from BGU in Hebrew liter-ature. In January 2014 he received the prestigious Ben-Tzvi award for his latest book, And Thou Shall Jest with Thy Son: Judeo-Spanish Parodies on the Passover Haggadah.

Asmir Hasicic is not only one of the best and most committed teachers we’ve worked with, Asmir is also the presi-dent of the Teachers Association of the Canton of Sarajevo. Asmir was born in Doboj, in 1980, and went to elementary school in Bosnia, Germany, and Croatia. He graduated from the Philosophical Faculty in Sarajevo in 2004 and has been teaching history in Sarajevo since 2005. Asmir has been vital to Centropa in Bosnia, helping translate materials and organizing teachers’ meetings. Asmir gave a rich, history-soaked tour of Sarajevo during the Summer Academy. As we move forward in Bosnia, we will continue to work with this brilliant young historian.

Jakob Finci is a lawyer, diplomat and human rights activist. He is among the founders of the Jewish cultural, ed-ucational and humanitarian society La Benevolencija. In that role, Jakob helped the Jewish community be-come one of the most effective aid agencies working in the Bosnian war zone. In 2000, he was elected chair-man of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then the Constitutional Commission of Federal Parliament. He is the only Bosnian representative to the Advisory Council of the Offi ce for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. In 2008, Jakob was named Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Switzerland, and non-resident Ambassador to Liechtenstein.


Douglas Davidson became Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues in 2010. He is responsible for developing and implementing U.S. policy pertaining to the return of Holocaust-era assets to their rightful owners, compensa-tion for wrongs committed during the Holocaust. From 2004 to 2008 Douglas was Head of the OSCE’s Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he oversaw a six-hundred person mission working to strengthen human rights and rule of law, to return displaced persons and refugees to their pre-war homes, and to help rebuild democracy. From 2001 to 2004, Douglas was Deputy U.S. Representative to the OSCE in Vienna and held other posts in Kosovo, Zagreb, Belgrade, and Peshawar. From late 1989 until early 1993 he was an Assistant Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the White House.

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65

The Austrian Foreign Offi ce maintains a deep commitment to the countries of the western Balkans. Martin Pammer is one of his ministry’s leading lights and has served as Austria’s Ambassador to Bosnia since 2013, after having served as Ambassador to Montenegro from 2009-2013. Martin entered the Diplomatic Service in 1994 and since then has served his ministry in Budapest, in Ljubljana, and in Zagreb. Martin joined Douglas Davidson in a spirited conver-sation on the complexities of rebuilding post-confl ict Bosnia.

María Aurora Mejía Errasquín has been the Spanish Ambassador to Bosnia since March 2012. Born in Madrid, María entered the Diplomatic Service in 1987. She held previous positions for the Spanish Foreign Ministry in Romania, Denmark, and Brazil, where she held the post of Deputy Head of the Embassy of Spain between 2002 and 2005. María also held several positions at the Permanent Representation of Spain to NATO and the Offi ce of the Prime Minister. María’s posting in Sarajevo has seen her become deeply involved in this Sephardic community, many of whose members still trace their roots back to Spain fi ve hundred years ago.

Jens Wagner has been the Press and Cultural Attaché at the German Embassy in Sarajevo since 2012 and it is in this capacity that we at Centropa worked closely with Jens on this year’s Summer Academy. Jens, who was born in Göppingen near Stuttgart, re-ceived his law degree at the University of Frankfurt. Before his posting to Sarajevo, he served for the German Foreign Offi ce at the Embassies in Abuja, Nigeria, and Brasilia, Brazil, and in the Ministry's headquaters, dealing mostly with Human Rights, trade issues, bilateral relations and public diplomacy.

Tim Butcher is an English journalist and author and covered the Bosnian war in the 1990s for the Daily Telegraph. Tim’s fi rst book, Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart, an account of his 2004 journey through DR Congo was published in 2007. It became a number one bestseller and was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize. A journalist with the Daily Telegraph from 1990 to 2009, in 2010 he received an honor-ary doctorate from the University of Northampton for services to writing. His most recent book, The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin who Brought the World to War was published in 2014 and tells the story of Gavrilo Princip, the teenage assassin who triggered the First World War by assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo.


OUR SPEAKERS IN SARAJEVO

No one can bring the Balkan Sephardim to life like Dr Eliezer Papo, who teach-es Jewish folklore, oral Jewish litera-tures, and Judeo-Spanish culture at Ben Gurion University in Israel. And Eliezer can do it in English, Hebrew, Bosnian and Ladino. Born in Sarajevo, Eliezer fi rst received a B.A. in law from the University of Sarajevo, a degree in rabbinics from the Midrash Sepharadi in Jerusalem, an M.A. in Jewish languages in literature from The Hebrew University, and a Ph.D. from BGU in Hebrew liter-ature. In January 2014 he received the prestigious Ben-Tzvi award for his latest book, And Thou Shall Jest with Thy Son: Judeo-Spanish Parodies on the Passover Haggadah.

Asmir Hasicic is not only one of the best and most committed teachers we’ve worked with, Asmir is also the presi-dent of the Teachers Association of the Canton of Sarajevo. Asmir was born in Doboj, in 1980, and went to elementary school in Bosnia, Germany, and Croatia. He graduated from the Philosophical Faculty in Sarajevo in 2004 and has been teaching history in Sarajevo since 2005. Asmir has been vital to Centropa in Bosnia, helping translate materials and organizing teachers’ meetings. Asmir gave a rich, history-soaked tour of Sarajevo during the Summer Academy. As we move forward in Bosnia, we will continue to work with this brilliant young historian.

Jakob Finci is a lawyer, diplomat and human rights activist. He is among the founders of the Jewish cultural, ed-ucational and humanitarian society La Benevolencija. In that role, Jakob helped the Jewish community be-come one of the most effective aid agencies working in the Bosnian war zone. In 2000, he was elected chair-man of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then the Constitutional Commission of Federal Parliament. He is the only Bosnian representative to the Advisory Council of the Offi ce for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. In 2008, Jakob was named Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Switzerland, and non-resident Ambassador to Liechtenstein.


Douglas Davidson became Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues in 2010. He is responsible for developing and implementing U.S. policy pertaining to the return of Holocaust-era assets to their rightful owners, compensa-tion for wrongs committed during the Holocaust. From 2004 to 2008 Douglas was Head of the OSCE’s Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he oversaw a six-hundred person mission working to strengthen human rights and rule of law, to return displaced persons and refugees to their pre-war homes, and to help rebuild democracy. From 2001 to 2004, Douglas was Deputy U.S. Representative to the OSCE in Vienna and held other posts in Kosovo, Zagreb, Belgrade, and Peshawar. From late 1989 until early 1993 he was an Assistant Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the White House.

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Of the ten presentations our teachers shared with each other during the Summer Academy, the projects that drew the strongest praise and keenest interest were those that showed students in different countries working with each other. Through Centropa fi lms and databases, students in Detroit, Belgrade, Vilnius, Greensboro, Kielce, Bonn and Sarajevo are already carrying out joint projects. Because we fi lter education through social media, we reach students where they live every day. Among the other presentations teachers made, Anthony Ludwig’s talk on "Why Teach History," had more than thirty-nine teachers from six countries signing up to adopt his lesson plan and lecture.

I really want to comment on a project I took part in, which was the Border Jumping project we did with Maureen Holtzer, Marko Dimitrijevic and Senka Jankov. As an educator, I can honestly state that my students learned a great deal, because they were actively engaged in doing something, and not just mindless memorizing by heart. By researching by themselves and connecting with peers overseas their learning curve went straight up.

Saša Radoševic, Zrenjanin, Serbia

I was drawn to all the cross border projects because they make perfect sense for to-day’s teens. Jacek from Kielce showed what he and Lisa in Greensboro are doing. Asmir from Sarajevo and Kirstin from Bonn described connecting younger students. I will use the Serbia/Florida project as my template. In Macedonia, we have a great Centropa fi lm about Jewish Partizans. I will work on it with Tal from Israel. Students will love this because it lets them show off their English, gets them to see how other kids live, learn something exciting, and even enter competitions on who makes the best video.

Daniela Shterjova, Skopje, Macedonia

Maureen Holtzer, Marko Dimitrijevic, and Senko Jankov's cross-cultural tolerance project seems simple, but is very useful. I have already created a partnership with one of the US teachers to start a similar project. Connecting teenagers to tell each others’ stories is a powerful tool.

Tatjana Juric, Banyaluka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Anthony Ludwig's "Why Study History," Yonathan Bar-On's Kindertransport les-son, Kelli Gerhardt's "Pay It Forward"—these I can use almost totally as written. Anthony has given every one of us a great way of answering that question we never stop hearing—teacher, why must we learn about the past?

Jean Miller, Gastonia, NC

I really liked Anthony Ludwig's "Why teach history" lesson and will start my school year with it. I get this question asked of me almost on a daily basis in my class-room, "why do we need to know history?" I thought I had a pretty good explana-tion, but Anthony put it perfectly.


TEACHER PRES ENTATIONS

67

Maureen Holtzer/Marko Dimitrijevic/Senko Jankov's lesson on cross-cultural tolerance—I would like to introduce this into my classroom this year. We have a large diversity of students, but there are several ethnic groups that my students do not come into contact with or do not know about. It is important to introduce students from other countries so my students can learn about them, then break down stereotypes that they hear about locally. I want them to connect with stu-dents from another country so they realize they are just like them.


First, it was wonderful to spend part of nearly ever day watching presentations made by other teachers. I was truly inspired by Anthony Ludwig 's project about "Why Teach History"—he was so effi cient in presenting it in such a concrete and essential way. Since I am committed to teaching Jewish holiday cooking I defi nitely will use Lowell Blackman's "Roots" project, which will fi t in so perfectly because we will make a Jewish quarter walking tour. Our Jewish quarter is the former Ghetto, so Lowell’s project helps me get this moving.

Rina Lund Mieli, Rome, Italy



Of the ten presentations our teachers shared with each other during the Summer Academy, the projects that drew the strongest praise and keenest interest were those that showed students in different countries working with each other. Through Centropa fi lms and databases, students in Detroit, Belgrade, Vilnius, Greensboro, Kielce, Bonn and Sarajevo are already carrying out joint projects. Because we fi lter education through social media, we reach students where they live every day. Among the other presentations teachers made, Anthony Ludwig’s talk on "Why Teach History," had more than thirty-nine teachers from six countries signing up to adopt his lesson plan and lecture.

I really want to comment on a project I took part in, which was the Border Jumping project we did with Maureen Holtzer, Marko Dimitrijevic and Senka Jankov. As an educator, I can honestly state that my students learned a great deal, because they were actively engaged in doing something, and not just mindless memorizing by heart. By researching by themselves and connecting with peers overseas their learning curve went straight up.

Saša Radoševic, Zrenjanin, Serbia

I was drawn to all the cross border projects because they make perfect sense for to-day’s teens. Jacek from Kielce showed what he and Lisa in Greensboro are doing. Asmir from Sarajevo and Kirstin from Bonn described connecting younger students. I will use the Serbia/Florida project as my template. In Macedonia, we have a great Centropa fi lm about Jewish Partizans. I will work on it with Tal from Israel. Students will love this because it lets them show off their English, gets them to see how other kids live, learn something exciting, and even enter competitions on who makes the best video.

Daniela Shterjova, Skopje, Macedonia

Maureen Holtzer, Marko Dimitrijevic, and Senko Jankov's cross-cultural tolerance project seems simple, but is very useful. I have already created a partnership with one of the US teachers to start a similar project. Connecting teenagers to tell each others’ stories is a powerful tool.

Tatjana Juric, Banyaluka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Anthony Ludwig's "Why Study History," Yonathan Bar-On's Kindertransport les-son, Kelli Gerhardt's "Pay It Forward"—these I can use almost totally as written. Anthony has given every one of us a great way of answering that question we never stop hearing—teacher, why must we learn about the past?

Jean Miller, Gastonia, NC

I really liked Anthony Ludwig's "Why teach history" lesson and will start my school year with it. I get this question asked of me almost on a daily basis in my class-room, "why do we need to know history?" I thought I had a pretty good explana-tion, but Anthony put it perfectly.


TEACHER PRES ENTATIONS


Centropa's goal to connect teachers from different disciplines is a highlight for me. By watching good examples of what actually works, I am now going to tie into my lessons history, literature, philosophy, civil education, human rights, and foreign languages. I have heard of cross-competency learning. Now my students will do it.

Saša RadoševicZrenjanin, Serbia

Meeting with other teachers from different disciplines and countries is simply the right thing to do. Helps one think out of the box.

Dimitar PetkovSofi a, Bulgaria

The summer program sparked an interest to develop curriculum and ideas that develop a deeper understanding of the 20th century beyond WWII and the Shoah. I think it is a much more useful, holistic approach and one that students should be able to see the numerous connections and parallels to their own story, and that of their community, as well. My hope is for them to understand a topic (say 1990s Bosnia) that they have almost zero exposure to normally in class, but can under-stand and embrace, and hopefully commit to developing meaningful work around, through, and outside the curriculum.



Teaching at a Jewish school in Chicago, I made a great match with Raimonda and Gintare from the Jewish school in Vilna. We will begin our project with icebreakers in the form of exchanged photos about myself, my family, my community, and Jewish life. We will then turn to the Centropa online interviews set in Lithuania. Students will then be asked to interview survivors about their lives after the Holocaust—both in Chicago and in Vilna. We will then determine an action to help those Holocaust survivors who are in need.

Jeff Ellison Chicago, IL

BR ING ING WHAT WE LEARNED BACK TO THE CLASSROOM

69

We as teachers need to be guides to our students’ moral compasses and we must show them what is right and what is wrong. This reminds me of Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, and how the main character remembers his teacher pushing all his friends and himself to war. We must not be this teacher, we must push our students to compassion and the right moral choices.

I am going to use the entire Balkan experience with my students, how these are not just events to push away, how people are involved in history and how much these events can/still mean to the people involved. We must fi nd an emotional connec-tion for our students and seeing people cry over what they saw as a misrepresen-tation of history really did move me, and If I can fi nd something to connect my kids this way then I am in for my best school year yet.

Paul PuccinelliMarion County, SC

My classes will benefi t from my increased knowledge of the origins of the First World War and the Balkan countries. Walking through the bazaar/souk in Sarajevo during Ramadan in such an amazing mixed culture was quite revelatory and that will come back with me and into my classroom. Nothing substitutes boots on the ground. And imparting our actual experience to students instead of recounting books we’ve read or movies we've seen is far more effective. You see things and notice the environment in ways we could never do in a lecture hall.

Tom Glaser Hialeah Gardens, FL

A lot of times I have focused my classes on Holocaust Studies and I have just not really thought that much about teaching the culture and the history that existed before and after. The Summer Academy certainly changed all that. Now I have a better under-standing of the this world, so I can create a deeper understanding for my students.

Douglas Greene Greensboro, NC

I am going to work together with David from North Carolina. Our students will do a project of everyday life during the Bosnian war with help of Centropa's movies and the photographs on the Centropa site and elsewhere. We will do our own research, as well, and have the students make presentations to each other.

Damjan Snoj Ljubljana, Slovenia

We now have what we need to take our students’ noses out of their books and out of the confi nement of the classroom, because by working with other classrooms in other countries, we take a subject they don’t connect with (like how global issues impact their world) and bring it totally alive for them. This is truly a gift.

Katiusca Cirino Houston, TX

I will use Centropa's open-source, interactive database and multi-media fi lms, etc. in my high school class as an interesting example in order to do our historical research for the Jewish Community of Rhodes. Also, maybe we will cooperate with another class from another country from the Balkans area.

Kostas Korres Rhodes, Greece


Centropa's goal to connect teachers from different disciplines is a highlight for me. By watching good examples of what actually works, I am now going to tie into my lessons history, literature, philosophy, civil education, human rights, and foreign languages. I have heard of cross-competency learning. Now my students will do it.

Saša RadoševicZrenjanin, Serbia

Meeting with other teachers from different disciplines and countries is simply the right thing to do. Helps one think out of the box.

Dimitar PetkovSofi a, Bulgaria

The summer program sparked an interest to develop curriculum and ideas that develop a deeper understanding of the 20th century beyond WWII and the Shoah. I think it is a much more useful, holistic approach and one that students should be able to see the numerous connections and parallels to their own story, and that of their community, as well. My hope is for them to understand a topic (say 1990s Bosnia) that they have almost zero exposure to normally in class, but can under-stand and embrace, and hopefully commit to developing meaningful work around, through, and outside the curriculum.



Teaching at a Jewish school in Chicago, I made a great match with Raimonda and Gintare from the Jewish school in Vilna. We will begin our project with icebreakers in the form of exchanged photos about myself, my family, my community, and Jewish life. We will then turn to the Centropa online interviews set in Lithuania. Students will then be asked to interview survivors about their lives after the Holocaust—both in Chicago and in Vilna. We will then determine an action to help those Holocaust survivors who are in need.





The diversity of the teachers working together was one of the most life-chang-ing aspects of the program. Although I have worked in international education for years, I have never participated in a workshop with teachers from so many different backgrounds in a face-to-face setting. This was exciting and inspiring! Therefore, this year, my students will be engaged in an oral history and digital story-telling proj-ect. Your resources will provide an excellent model and inspiration for them as they engage in this work.

David Brooks Raleigh, NC

I am going to introduce a new culture and a new language into my class work be-cause after being in Sarajevo, and seeing what this tiny Jewish community did with its non-Jewish friends, has given me the confi dence to focus on civil society as a intentional goal, and broaden my students' horizons.

Nance Adler Seattle, WA

The opportunity to have visited sites such as the Belvedere Palace, the MAK, the Jewish Museum and especially the Military museum, the very site of the assassina-tion, and the grave stones in the public cemetery in Sarajevo will enable me to bring more nuanced lessons to my students. When a teacher participates in travel-based professional development, it is my sense that the teacher's standing with the stu-dents is greatly elevated.

Frank Kemkes Billings, MT

I can honestly say that this was the most powerful professional development that I have attended in recent memory because I learned so much (and realized how much world history we in America are beginning to ignore). Because of this, one of my ideas is to create a high school pilot course on understanding the 20th Century in European History to help increase the knowledge of our teaching force.

Barbara Hairfi eld Charleston, NC


71


THINGS TO IMPROVEI would have liked to see an introductory session where each national group could briefl y and diagrammatically present not only the misconceptions about their coun-try, etc. (as we did this year), but their country’s secondary education system. In order to understand where the projects that we talked about could fi t we should, I think, have an idea of the various national curricula. Just an example: history cur-riculum in Greek schools don’t provide for a separate holocaust section. It is really important to see how different educational systems/curricula work in different coun-tries. This kind of information exchange during dinners, walks, coffee breaks, etc., with other teachers was really important and useful for me.

Konstantina Andrianopoulou Athens, Greece

Scheduling! It is better to do fewer things in a great fashion than to cover multiple things in a less effective way. Provide more time for educators to collaborate on their own. You do not have to account for every minute of the day in the classroom. Education extends beyond the classroom. However, participants must have time to experience the culture and spend time in the regions they are visiting. Include more hands-on learning experi-ences beyond the lecture style that was overused.

Katrina Massey Mebane, NC

I thought it might have been benefi cial if sometimes we were grouped by discipline so that just history or literature teachers would meet together. More time to speak with the teachers with whom we are going to work. I needed more time to fi gure out the details of scheduling.


Mixed groups for group work. More time for presenting results. Create an android appli-cation for mobile phones. It will be easier for work in the classroom.

Marko Dimitrijevic Nis, Serbia



The diversity of the teachers working together was one of the most life-chang-ing aspects of the program. Although I have worked in international education for years, I have never participated in a workshop with teachers from so many different backgrounds in a face-to-face setting. This was exciting and inspiring! Therefore, this year, my students will be engaged in an oral history and digital story-telling proj-ect. Your resources will provide an excellent model and inspiration for them as they engage in this work.

David Brooks Raleigh, NC

I am going to introduce a new culture and a new language into my class work be-cause after being in Sarajevo, and seeing what this tiny Jewish community did with its non-Jewish friends, has given me the confi dence to focus on civil society as a intentional goal, and broaden my students' horizons.

Nance Adler Seattle, WA

The opportunity to have visited sites such as the Belvedere Palace, the MAK, the Jewish Museum and especially the Military museum, the very site of the assassina-tion, and the grave stones in the public cemetery in Sarajevo will enable me to bring more nuanced lessons to my students. When a teacher participates in travel-based professional development, it is my sense that the teacher's standing with the stu-dents is greatly elevated.

Frank Kemkes Billings, MT

I can honestly say that this was the most powerful professional development that I have attended in recent memory because I learned so much (and realized how much world history we in America are beginning to ignore). Because of this, one of my ideas is to create a high school pilot course on understanding the 20th Century in European History to help increase the knowledge of our teaching force.

Barbara Hairfi eld Charleston, NC



CENTROPA’S EDUCATIONAL NETWORKSWE DONT BELIEVE IN BORDERS

EUROPEAN PUBLIC SCHOOLSStanding, left to right: Beata Gendek‐Barhoumi, Czestochowa, Poland; Tatiana Adamska, Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia; Erwin Dorn, Traun, Austria; Gabriela Berbesz‐Kupiec, Lubliniec, Poland; Viera Nižníková, Prešov, Slovakia; Waltraud Neuhauser, Steyr, Austria; Kirstin Lakeberg, Bonn, Germany; Martina Kalcikova, Brno, Czech Republic; Damjan Snoj, Preserje, Slovenia;

Sitting, left to right: Daniela Vitaskova, Trebíc, Czech Republic; Marianna Beregszászi, Pécs, Hungary; Jacek Jaros, Kielce, Poland; Marta Goldmann, Budapest, Hungary; Ferenc Peragovics, Esztergom, Hungary; Jolita Staciokaite, Jieznas, Lithuania; Michael Heitz, Sinsheim, Germany; Ulrike Lackner, Lassnitzhöhe, Austria; Mária Erdélyiné Gál, Besenyotelek, Hungary˝

73

BALKAN SCHOOLSBack row, left to right: Maria Fragkoulaki, Ilion, Greece; Marija Ivanova, Shtip, Macedonia; Daniela Shterjova, Skopje, Macedonia; Ilijan Kuzmanovic, Novi Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Tatijana Juric, Banjaluka, Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Middle, left to right: Bilijana Stojanovic, Belgrade, Serbia; Naila Uzunovic-Hasicic, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Asmir Hasicic, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Biljana Shotarovska, Skopje, Macedonia; Vera Isailovic, Arilje, Serbia; Maja Susha, Skopje, Macedonia; Saša Radoševic, Zrenjanin, Serbia; Senka Jankov, Zrenjanin, Serbia; Konstantina Andrianopoulou, Psihiko, Greece; Admir Ibricic, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Konstantinos Korres, Rhodes, Greece

Front: Vassiliki Keramida, Athens, Greece; Marko Dimitrijevic, Nis, Serbia


CENTROPA’S EDUCATIONAL NETWORKSWE DONT BELIEVE IN BORDERS

EUROPEAN PUBLIC SCHOOLSStanding, left to right: Beata Gendek‐Barhoumi, Czestochowa, Poland; Tatiana Adamska, Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia; Erwin Dorn, Traun, Austria; Gabriela Berbesz‐Kupiec, Lubliniec, Poland; Viera Nižníková, Prešov, Slovakia; Waltraud Neuhauser, Steyr, Austria; Kirstin Lakeberg, Bonn, Germany; Martina Kalcikova, Brno, Czech Republic; Damjan Snoj, Preserje, Slovenia;

Sitting, left to right: Daniela Vitaskova, Trebíc, Czech Republic; Marianna Beregszászi, Pécs, Hungary; Jacek Jaros, Kielce, Poland; Marta Goldmann, Budapest, Hungary; Ferenc Peragovics, Esztergom, Hungary; Jolita Staciokaite, Jieznas, Lithuania; Michael Heitz, Sinsheim, Germany; Ulrike Lackner, Lassnitzhöhe, Austria; Mária Erdélyiné Gál, Besenyotelek, Hungary˝


NORTH AMERICAN PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLSLast row: Frank Kemkes, Billings, MT; David Brooks, Raleigh, NC; Brittany Morefi eld, Jamestown, NC; Jean Miller, Gastonia, NC; Barbara Hairfi eld, Charleston, SC; Danielle Bagonis, Baltimore, MD; Jeff Renihan, Graceville, FL; Katrina Massey, Mebane, NC; Katiusca Cirino, Houston, TX;

Middle row: Tom Glaser, Hialeah Gardens, FL; Paul Puccinelli, Marion County, NC; Lisa Cain, Mount Pleasant, SC; Denise Deveaux, Charleston, SC; Kelli Gerhardt, Spartanburg, SC; Jonathan Wade, Cullowhee, NC; Anthony Ludwig, Charleston, SC; Maureen Holtzer, Wellington, FL; Maureen Carter, West Palm Beach, FL; Gina Lavine, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada; Amy Vargas-Tonsi, Durham, NC; Wendy Warren, Houston, TX; Lauren Granite, Washington, DC, (Centropa)

Front: Douglas Greene, Greensboro, NC

75

US JEWISH SCHOOLSShmuel Afek, New York, NY; Jeffrey Ellison, Chicago, IL; Aaron Markham, Houston, TX; Shira Androphy, Boston, MA; Nance Adler, Seattle, WA

ISRAELI SCHOOLSStanding, left to right: Yela Kartaginer, Rakefet; Maya Neumann, Kfar-Shmaryahu; Natalia Shushin, Bat Yam;

Middle row: Victor Gurevich, Be'er Yakov; Yonathan Bar-On, Haifa; Lowell Blackman, Herzliya;

Front: Ettie Avraham, Kfar Saba; Tal Terem, Pardes Hanna-Karkur

EUROPEAN JEWISH SCHOOLSBack row: Dimitar Petkov Dimitrov, Sofi a, Bulgaria; Ricky David, Stockholm, Sweden; Ana Sesar, Zagreb, Croatia; Front: Rina Lund Mieli, Rome, Italy; Judig Magos, Budapest, Hungary; Katerina Weberova, Prague, Czech Republic


NORTH AMERICAN PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLSLast row: Frank Kemkes, Billings, MT; David Brooks, Raleigh, NC; Brittany Morefi eld, Jamestown, NC; Jean Miller, Gastonia, NC; Barbara Hairfi eld, Charleston, SC; Danielle Bagonis, Baltimore, MD; Jeff Renihan, Graceville, FL; Katrina Massey, Mebane, NC; Katiusca Cirino, Houston, TX;

Middle row: Tom Glaser, Hialeah Gardens, FL; Paul Puccinelli, Marion County, NC; Lisa Cain, Mount Pleasant, SC; Denise Deveaux, Charleston, SC; Kelli Gerhardt, Spartanburg, SC; Jonathan Wade, Cullowhee, NC; Anthony Ludwig, Charleston, SC; Maureen Holtzer, Wellington, FL; Maureen Carter, West Palm Beach, FL; Gina Lavine, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada; Amy Vargas-Tonsi, Durham, NC; Wendy Warren, Houston, TX; Lauren Granite, Washington, DC, (Centropa)

Front: Douglas Greene, Greensboro, NC


FINANCIALS CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2014

BUDGET 2014HOTELS, TRANSPORTATION, MEALSHotel € 35,293 $47,808Meals € 24,649 $33,390Plane tickets € 41,777 $56,593Public transport € 481 $652Bus rentals € 6,424 $8,703Subtotal € 108,624 $147,145

SEMINAR PREPARATION, SPEAKERS, TECHNOLOGYCoordinator seminar preparation € 9,037 $12,242Speakers € 2,769 $3,751Tour guides & museum entrance € 2,758 $3,736Photographer & Video € 2,857 $3,870Printed material: DVDs burned, handouts, fi nal report € 22,790 $30,871Fees for tech and seminar room rental € 4,846 $6,565Subtotal € 45,057 $61,035

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALSMulti-media fi lms, produced for Summer Academy € 25,455 $34,482Website adaptation and blogspots for teachers € 2,698 $3,654Subtotal € 28,153 $38,136

STAFF Centropa administration costs € 58,703 $79,520

TOTAL € 240,537 $325,836

STAFF

CREDITS

THE TEAM 2014Standing are are members of our permanent staff: From left: Lauren Granite is our North American education direc-tor; Marcell Kenesei runs our programs for European Jewish schools and our public schools in Hungary. Wolfi Els is our fi lmmaker and Birgit Haberpeutner is the logistics coordina-tor for our summer programs. Fabian Rühle is the director for European public schools and Esther Cotoarba, is the newest addition to our team. Esther assists both Fabian and Birgit. Our director, Edward Serotta is next to Esther and on the right is Ouriel Morgensztern is our technical director.

Sitting are those teachers who coordinate our programs in each of their countries. From the left is Raimonda Sadauskiene from Lithuania; Marko Dimitrijevic from Serbia; Daniela Shterjova from Macedonia; Ana Sesar from Croatia; Damjan Snoj from Slovenia; Gintare Kukliene from Lithuania.

This publication was designed by Marie-Christine Gollner-Schmid and printed by Donau Forum Printers.

Special thanks to the Federal Ministry of Education and Women’s Affairs, and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Integration, Integration & Foreign Affairs for supporting the printing of this publication.

We are deeply grateful to the photographers who helped bring our story to life and we thank:

Christopher Mavric in Graz, Róbert Bácsi and Bence Kovács in Budapest, Daniel Grünfeld in Frankfurt and Berlin, Gianmaria Gava, Ouriel Morgensztern and Edward Serotta in Vienna, Torben Geeck in Berlin, Wojciech Wojtkielewicz in Bialystok, Ryan Brandenberg in Philadelphia

Addditional photos: Stella Matosovic, Judit Magos

77

STAFF

CREDITS

THE TEAM 2014


FINANCIALS CENTROPA SUMMER ACADEMY 2014

BUDGET 2014HOTELS, TRANSPORTATION, MEALSHotel € 35,293 $47,808Meals € 24,649 $33,390Plane tickets € 41,777 $56,593Public transport € 481 $652Bus rentals € 6,424 $8,703Subtotal € 108,624 $147,145

SEMINAR PREPARATION, SPEAKERS, TECHNOLOGYCoordinator seminar preparation € 9,037 $12,242Speakers € 2,769 $3,751Tour guides & museum entrance € 2,758 $3,736Photographer & Video € 2,857 $3,870Printed material: DVDs burned, handouts, fi nal report € 22,790 $30,871Fees for tech and seminar room rental € 4,846 $6,565Subtotal € 45,057 $61,035

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALSMulti-media fi lms, produced for Summer Academy € 25,455 $34,482Website adaptation and blogspots for teachers € 2,698 $3,654Subtotal € 28,153 $38,136

STAFF Centropa administration costs € 58,703 $79,520

TOTAL € 240,537 $325,836

STAFF

CREDITS

THE TEAM 2014Standing are are members of our permanent staff: From left: Lauren Granite is our North American education direc-tor; Marcell Kenesei runs our programs for European Jewish schools and our public schools in Hungary. Wolfi Els is our fi lmmaker and Birgit Haberpeutner is the logistics coordina-tor for our summer programs. Fabian Rühle is the director for European public schools and Esther Cotoarba, is the newest addition to our team. Esther assists both Fabian and Birgit. Our director, Edward Serotta is next to Esther and on the right is Ouriel Morgensztern is our technical director.

Sitting are those teachers who coordinate our programs in each of their countries. From the left is Raimonda Sadauskiene from Lithuania; Marko Dimitrijevic from Serbia; Daniela Shterjova from Macedonia; Ana Sesar from Croatia; Damjan Snoj from Slovenia; Gintare Kukliene from Lithuania.

This publication was designed by Marie-Christine Gollner-Schmid and printed by Donau Forum Printers.

Special thanks to the Federal Ministry of Education and Women’s Affairs, and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Integration, Integration & Foreign Affairs for supporting the printing of this publication.

We are deeply grateful to the photographers who helped bring our story to life and we thank:

Christopher Mavric in Graz, Róbert Bácsi and Bence Kovács in Budapest, Daniel Grünfeld in Frankfurt and Berlin, Gianmaria Gava, Ouriel Morgensztern and Edward Serotta in Vienna, Torben Geeck in Berlin, Wojciech Wojtkielewicz in Bialystok, Ryan Brandenberg in Philadelphia

Addditional photos: Stella Matosovic, Judit Magos

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