Latest news with #KellyHiebert
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Holocaust education ‘not just a Jewish topic,' educator says
Lessons that build empathy through Holocaust survivor testimonies and case studies of Jewish life before 1933 are at the core of Manitoba's newest curriculum. Starting this fall, Grade 6, 9 and 11 teachers will analyze the systematic killing of six million Jews during the Second World War and what antisemitism looks like 80 years later. The curriculum developer told the Free Press that Manitoba students will be challenged to identify bystanders, victims, perpetrators, collaborators and survivors to grasp how propaganda and indifference enabled genocide. 'This is not just a Jewish topic, and I always try to tell this to people,' said Kelly Hiebert, who teaches high school history in Winnipeg. 'This is looking at the longest hatred of all time — but this can also relate to other marginalized and minority groups that have been persecuted over time.' The Nazi regime sought to exterminate Jews, but its early victims of persecution included members of the LGBTTQ+ community, Jehovah's Witnesses, communists and people of colour, among others, Hiebert noted. The career teacher, who does not practise Judaism, specializes in Holocaust and antisemitism studies. He's spent much of the last 10 months meeting with other teachers, museum curators and ethno-religious leaders to design a new social studies framework. The result is a curriculum that explores the Nazi seizure of power in Germany and subsequent creation of ghettos and concentration camps, Canada's response to Jewish refugees, and the lasting impact of the genocide on the world at large. Hiebert said the 'progressive scaffolding' model will teach students foundational knowledge and help them develop compassion for others through 'take action' assignments. The Manitoba government announced on Yom HaShoah in May 2024, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, that it was introducing mandatory education to combat antisemitism. Further details were revealed in the spring. One of the early tasks involved drafting a list of definitions. Both the Manitoba and Canadian governments have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, 'a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.' 'Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities,' it adds. Examples of it include the denial or downplaying of the use of gas chambers to target Jews and calling the state of Israel a 'racist endeavour,' as per the IHRA understanding. Hiebert called that definition the 'gold standard.' At the same time, he recommends teachers ask older students to critically examine the IHRA definition, along with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism and a summary published by the Nexus Project, an American non-profit organization. As far as he is concerned, criticism of Israel becomes antisemitic only when it involves demonization, delegitimization and 'double standards that you're not using against China, you're not using against Russia, you're not using against Myanmar and the Rohingya people.' 'There will be disagreements (in Manitoba classrooms),' Hiebert said, reflecting on his 18-year career in education and the complex history in the Middle East that has led to current events. Incidents of both antisemitism and Islamophobia rose in the wake of Hamas militants' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and retaliatory violence that has turned into a 21-month-long war. 'Why this is so necessary now is to help students understand the historical significance of antisemitism, develop critical thinking and develop compassion and empathy for others,' he said. Hiebert said he is urging colleagues to prioritize building relationships, trust and respectful classroom environments before introducing these sensitive topics. Marianne Cerilli, a former teacher and NDP MLA who now runs her own consulting firm in Winnipeg, recently facilitated a workshop on teaching controversial topics. Cerilli said she was called upon by a rural teachers union to share her tips with its members in the spring. A survey of attendees revealed many of them felt unprepared to discuss politicized topics at school and they wanted more time to talk to colleagues about their experiences, she said. She advises teachers to brush up on conflict de-escalation and resolution techniques, consider personal biases and practise active listening. The education department will be available to work with teachers who have questions or concerns about the curriculum this fall, said Tracy Schmidt, minister of kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schooling. 'But we don't anticipate a whole lot of concern,' Schmidt said, adding she believes the rollout is 'a really positive step.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Holocaust education ‘not just a Jewish topic,' educator says
Lessons that build empathy through Holocaust survivor testimonies and case studies of Jewish life before 1933 are at the core of Manitoba's newest curriculum. Starting this fall, Grade 6, 9 and 11 teachers will analyze the systematic killing of six million Jews during the Second World War and what antisemitism looks like 80 years later. The curriculum developer told the Free Press that Manitoba students will be challenged to identify bystanders, victims, perpetrators, collaborators and survivors to grasp how propaganda and indifference enabled genocide. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES History teacher Kelly Hiebert specializes in Holocaust and antisemitism studies and spent much of the last 10 months meeting with other teachers, museum curators and ethno-religious leaders to design a new social studies framework. 'This is not just a Jewish topic, and I always try to tell this to people,' said Kelly Hiebert, who teaches high school history in Winnipeg. 'This is looking at the longest hatred of all time — but this can also relate to other marginalized and minority groups that have been persecuted over time.' The Nazi regime also singled out members of the LGBTTQ+ community, Jehovah's Witnesses, communists and people of colour, among others, Hiebert noted. The career teacher, who does not practise Judaism, specializes in Holocaust and antisemitism studies. He's spent much of the last 10 months meeting with other teachers, museum curators and ethno-religious leaders to design a new social studies framework. The result is a curriculum that explores the Nazi seizure of power in Germany and subsequent creation of ghettos and concentration camps, Canada's response to Jewish refugees, and the lasting impact of the genocide on the world at large. Hiebert said the 'progressive scaffolding' model will teach students foundational knowledge and help them develop compassion for others through 'take action' assignments. The Manitoba government announced on Yom HaShoah in May 2024, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, that it was introducing mandatory education to combat antisemitism. Further details were revealed in the spring. One of the early tasks involved drafting a list of definitions. Both the Manitoba and Canadian governments have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, 'a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.' 'Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities,' it adds. Examples of it include the denial or downplaying of the use of gas chambers to target Jews and calling the state of Israel a 'racist endeavour,' as per the IHRA understanding. Hiebert recommends teachers ask older students to critically examine the IHRA definition, along with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism and a summary published by the Nexus Project, an American non-profit organization. As far as he is concerned, criticism of Israel becomes antisemitic only when it involves demonization, delegitimization and 'double standards that you're not using against China, you're not using against Russia, you're not using against Myanmar and the Rohingya people.' 'There will be disagreements (in Manitoba classrooms),' Hiebert said, reflecting on his 18-year career in education and the complex history in the Middle East that has led to current events. Incidents of both antisemitism and Islamophobia rose in the wake of Hamas militants' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and retaliatory violence that has turned into a 21-month-long war. 'Why this is so necessary now is to help students understand the historical significance of antisemitism, develop critical thinking and develop compassion and empathy for others,' he said. Hiebert said he is urging colleagues to prioritize building relationships, trust and respectful classroom environments before introducing these sensitive topics. Marianne Cerilli, a former teacher and NDP MLA who now runs her own consulting firm in Winnipeg, recently facilitated a workshop on teaching controversial topics. Cerilli said she was called upon by a rural teachers union to share her tips with its members in the spring. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. A survey of attendees revealed many of them felt unprepared to discuss politicized topics at school and they wanted more time to talk to colleagues about their experiences, she said. She advises teachers to brush up on conflict de-escalation and resolution techniques, consider personal biases and practise active listening. The education department will be available to work with teachers who have questions or concerns about the curriculum this fall, said Tracy Schmidt, minister of kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schooling. 'But we don't anticipate a whole lot of concern,' Schmidt said, adding she believes the rollout is 'a really positive step.' Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Holocaust education and current conflicts
Opinion John R. Wiens's recent op-ed (We must teach the Holocaust — but that won't be easy, Think Tank, June 6) raises important concerns about the challenges of teaching the Holocaust amid the Israel-Hamas war. Best practices in Holocaust education continue to evolve along with present-day realities and challenges. Available in more than a dozen languages, the 2019 IHRA Recommendations on Teaching and Learning About the Holocaust was crafted by international scholars in the field to help curriculum developers and educators teach about the complex and nuanced history of the Holocaust. We are working on a new edition for 2026. In November of 2023, I approached the Manitoba government about a mandated curriculum on Holocaust education and was delighted by the positive response from the province, which subsequently announced its partnership with the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada to introduce mandatory Holocaust education in schools. 'This includes developing new curriculum guidance, implementation tools, and resources for educators. The partnership aims to ensure all students in Manitoba are educated about the Holocaust and its impact, and to combat antisemitism.' Kelly Hiebert, an award-winning educator, was then selected by the Manitoba government to help develop a new Holocaust curriculum for the province's students. Wiens claims that 'today's politics of difference' inform him that a non-Jew cannot understand or appreciate the injustices of antisemitism and that one must choose between being a Zionist and pro-Palestinian. Many respected scholars on antisemitism are in fact not Jewish. Zionism is simply the right of Jews to self-determination in our ancestral homeland. Support for Palestinians is not anathema to that belief. As for criticism of the policies of the Israeli government, we have been clear that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. I respectfully challenge a central claim of Wien's argument — that Holocaust education today must be inextricably linked with current events in Gaza, and that such teaching risks doing more harm than good in the current political climate. This approach risks weakening both the effectiveness of Holocaust education and the clarity students need when learning about mass atrocities. To begin, the Holocaust was a defining event in the history of humanity that shook the foundations of Western civilization and transformed international politics and justice. It was a singular, systematic genocide: the industrialized murder of six million Jews alongside the targeted killing of millions of others. Teaching about the Holocaust requires careful attention to historical specificity, rooted in facts, survivor testimony, and the ideological machinery of antisemitism that enabled it. To connect Holocaust education directly with the Gaza conflict — however pressing and tragic — risks distorting both topics. These are not interchangeable events, nor are they parallel in scope, intent, or execution. Conflating them, even in the spirit of contemporary relevance, invites students to draw inappropriate moral equivalencies and may unintentionally reinforce antisemitic tropes — including the idea that Jews are collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel. Wiens expresses concern that teachers are unprepared for the political backlash they may face when tackling such topics. But the answer is not to sideline Holocaust education or to dilute it with present-day disputes. The answer is to better support educators: with training, curriculum resources, and clear guidance on how to engage students in both historical thinking and ethical reflection. We have already begun that process with a Manitoba-wide professional development day a few weeks ago, that included the participation of recognized national experts in the field, and we will be offering many more opportunities next year. It is entirely possible — and necessary — to teach the Holocaust without turning the classroom into a battleground over modern geopolitics. Teachers should not be asked to resolve the Israeli-Hamas conflict in real time. Nor should Holocaust instruction be framed as contingent on 'cleaning up' adult failures in the political sphere. Our students deserve a focused space to learn about antisemitism — both past and present — and to understand how hatred and conspiracy theories fuel violence. Let us be clear: we must also teach about human rights violations wherever they occur. Manitoba offers a curriculum on global issues that addresses these concerns. These discussions matter, and they belong in our classrooms — but not at the cost of obscuring or distorting the Holocaust's historical reality. In this time of polarization, clarity is a moral necessity. At a time when Holocaust denial and distortion both online and offline is increasing dramatically, accompanied by an exponential rise in antisemitism, Holocaust education remains a key tool for countering prejudice and cultivating inclusion. We must ensure that this important subject is taught with the depth, care, and context it deserves. Belle Jarniewski is the executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada and serves on the Education Working Group of Canada's federally appointed delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, the only intergovernmental organization with a mandate focused on addressing contemporary challenges related to the Holocaust and the genocide of the Roma.
