A history teacher says “we must work harder than ever to ensure the horrors of the past are never forgotten” after a trip to Israel's official memorial to victims of the Holocaust.
Over the summer break, Bury Grammar School teacher Samuel Bell was accepted on an intensive, 10-day continuing professional development (CPD) course at the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
Following the trip, the Holocaust curriculum in history lessons at Bury Grammar School (BGS) have been edited to reflect latest research and the knowledge gained by Mr Bell.
He said: “My participation on these courses would not be possible without the support of BGS, so sharing the knowledge gained with our school and community is essential.
“As the Holocaust fades further into history, we must work harder than ever to ensure the horrors of the past are never forgotten.
“Staff and students being exposed to world-leading Holocaust education will ensure that in our community, we are doing all we can to achieve this goal."
During the course, attendees learnt about the Holocaust, dispelling misconceptions, and addressing pedagogical questions about how to teach this to pupils and students.
Participants also heard from Dr David Silberklang, senior historian in the International Institute for Holocaust Research and Ephraim Zuroff from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, who has played a key role in bringing Nazi war criminals to justice.
Mr Bell added that they additionally had the honour of hearing a first-hand survivor testimony from Aliza Landau, "whose story of survival defies belief at every turn".
Following the success of the trip, during the October half-term, Mr Bell will be attending another course in Vilnius, with a focus on pre-war Jewish life in Lithuania.
He will also be facilitating BGS' involvement in the council Holocaust memorial event in January He will also be leading the school's own Holocaust Memorial Day assembly.
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