Holocaust Educators Network
The image of the Holocaust is with us—a memory which haunts, a sounding board for all subsequent evil—in the back of the mind…for all of us now living: we, the inheritors.”
- Terrence Des Pres
HEN 2011 Summer Seminar participants reading from “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” with director Jane Tamarkin
Supported by the Memorial Library, the Manhattan-based Holocaust Educators Network (HEN) was created in 2006 by Dr. Sondra Perl. HEN offers a twelve-day summer seminar for faculty from middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities interested in furthering their knowledge about the Holocaust and other genocides. Using an inquiry-based approach, HEN provides educators with tools to heighten their students’ engagement with this sensitive subject matter, guiding students from shock and denial to compassion and social action.
During a summer seminar, educators have the opportunity to:
HEN teacher Rene MacVay identifies her home town on our last day
- Explore the intricacies of pedagogy with like-minded colleagues
- Meet with Holocaust survivors
- Work with Holocaust scholars and researchers
- Learn about Jewish culture and rituals
- Explore New York City
Following a summer seminar, HEN teachers:
- Implement social justice and Holocaust curriculum in their classrooms
- Join the HEN listserv
- Participate in online reading initiatives
- Apply for mini-grants to develop projects in their schools and communities
- Work with fellow participants to create classroom exchanges or host community events
- Are eligible to apply for the Leadership Institute
Hen in the News
Newspapers across the country have taken notice of HEN educators and their achievements.
The Holocaust raises huge and often unanswerable questions. It is a history that is emotionally complex and as Des Pres states a history that haunts us still.”
- Sondra Perl, Seminar Director
