Bellow is an excerpt from Ali Botein-Furrevig, a professor and director of the Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education at Ocean County College. She is the author of three award-winning books including “Heart of the Stranger: A Portrait of the Lakewood NJ Orthodox Community.” She is a popular speaker throughout New Jersey and New York on Jewish history and culture. This article recently appeared in the Asbury Park Press, Lessons from the Holocaust: Educating students on moral choices, responsible citizenship:
“As beautiful pearls are produced by the suffering of an oyster, so the Holocaust created beautiful heroes; not only the survivors or victims, but others of Righteous Nations who risked their own lives to hide Jews and save their lives”.
In 1994, the New Jersey Legislature passed an act mandating Holocaust and genocide education be included in all school curriculums in 1999.
Also, upon the creation of the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission in January 2002, the Commission formed the Curriculum Development Committee for the purpose of designing a curriculum for New Jersey’s schools that highlighted the Italian Heritage. This action fulfilled the legislated mandate of the Commission to:
“Develop, in consultation with the State Department of Education, curriculum guidelines for the teaching of subjects and topics concerning and relating to the culture, history and heritage of Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage.” (Title 18A,Chapter 4, Article 4 Paragraph 3, Item G In 2002.)
Our Curriculum Committee has produced lessons dealing with genocide to emphasize the Italian experience and our efforts to save the lives of Jews. The New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission stands with the Holocaust Commission to educate and emphasize the need to “NEVER FORGET”
The NJIHC’s October Professional Development Day at Stockton University featured Italians and the Holocaust, with an introduction by Dr. Craig Coenen, Co-chair of the Mercer County Holocaust Commission and the Classroom Implementation presentation by Eric Lavin – Caldwell School District. To highlight some of Italy’s involvements, a film by Oscar® nominee Oren Jacoby, My Italian Secret, featuring Gino Bartali, the charismatic Italian cycling hero who risked his life over and over to save innocent lives and describing the untold saga of Italians who rescued Jews and other refugees who fled the Nazis in World War II was discussed.
