Task Force For International Cooperation On Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research

Lithuania - Holocaust Education Report

2006

1. What official directives from government ministries and/or local authorities regarding the teaching of the Holocaust exist in your country.

By the declaration of 8 May 1990 "Regarding the Genocide of the Jewish Nation in Lithuania During the Nazi Occupation", adopted by the Highest Council - the Provisional Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania - the Republic of Lithuania has pledged to ensure the commemoration of the victims of the genocide of the Jewish nation and to fight any manifestations of antisemitism.

Holocaust education was commenced after the re-establishment of Lithuania's independence. The school history programmes which are approved by the minister's order prescribe that teaching about the Holocaust is mandatory in forms 5, 10, and 12. That is, Lithuanian students must learn about the Holocaust during history classes in all cases where the Second World War is discussed. The programmes may be obtained from the following website: http://www.pedagogika.lt/biblio.htm. Moreover, the topic of the Holocaust is included in the History Examination Programme: http://www.egzaminai.lt/programos.php. The tests of the examination contain assignments related to the topic of the Holocaust.

During the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust on 26-28 January 2000 - attended by official delegations of 48 countries, as well as the Council of Europe, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the United Nations - Lithuania joined the 8-point "Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on Holocaust Issues".

The Working Group for the Preparation and Coordination of the National Holocaust Education Programme, formed by order of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania in April 2000, prepared a recommended programme encompassing a very large area of activity - teaching about the Holocaust (18 projects), the institution of Holocaust commemoration (11 projects), academic studies (12 projects), scientific research (9 projects), museum initiatives (8 projects), public initiatives (13 projects), and the publishing of books (7 projects). The government has approved the programme. This National Holocaust Education Programme in Lithuania was presented to the Task Force organisation on 30 May 2002 as a cooperation proposal. The programme was supported and funded by the governmental and state institutions of Lithuania, foundations, the Task Force, and other organisations. Most of the projects under this comprehensive programme have already been completed; some are continuous and still under implementation. Several projects were not implemented due to lack of funding; however, other projects were carried out which were not within the scope of the programme.

After the international conference "Holocaust in Lithuania in the Focus of Modern History, Education and Justice" organised in 2002 by the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania (further International Commission1) in cooperation with Yad Vashem, The National fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National-Socialism, and other partners, on the initiative and draft proposal of the International Commission Programme of Holocaust Education Activities for schools, its implementation measures were approved by Order No. ISAK-1296 of 10 September 2003 of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania. The programme was prepared in order to improve the quality of Holocaust education, to achieve more coordination in the activities of state institutions and non-governmental organisations working in this area, as well as to involve more teachers and students in Holocaust education. The programme was prepared in realisation of:

• Order No. 2127 of 31 December 2002 of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania "On the Preparation of the Programme of Holocaust Education Activities"
• the goals arising from Lithuania's membership in the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research;
• the Amendment of Cooperation Agreement No. 273 of 2 March 2000 between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania and the International Commission regarding the implementation of the Programme for Holocaust and Genocide Education, which was signed on June 19, 2002;
• developing and continuing the National Holocaust Education Programme of 2000.

2. If the Holocaust is not a mandatory subject, what percentage of schools chooses to teach about the Holocaust?

The Holocaust is included with the theme of the Second World War and is a constituent part of the history subject and teaching. In addition to mandatory programmes, some schools on voluntary bases are actively involved in various projects related to the subject of the Holocaust, e.g., writing essays, carrying out extracurricular work, collecting information about the Holocaust in their area, attending and keeping up Jewish cemeteries or memorial sites.

3. How is the Holocaust defined?

The Holocaust is the genocide of the Jews.

4. Is the Holocaust taught as a subject in its own right, or as part of a broader topic? Explain the reasoning behind this decision.

The Holocaust is part of the compulsory history programme. It is an integral part of the larger subject of World War II. This solution was chosen because it is believed that schoolchildren will reach a better understanding of the events that took place if they are presented in a broader historical context or in the context of other subjects. Judaism and the life of the Lithuanian Jewish community are rather comprehensively presented in religion classes. The Holocaust topic is reviewed in ethics and civic education and literature classes.

5. At what age(s) do young people learn about the Holocaust in schools? Do students encounter the Holocaust in schools more than once? Please give details.

Schoolchildren aged 12, 16, and 18 are taught about the Holocaust. The Holocaust topic is examined three times in the course of studying history because the teaching of Lithuanian history is divided into three stages (three spheres):

• In the first stage 5th form students are introduced to the major topics in the history of Lithuania, including the Nazi occupation and the Holocaust.
• The second stage includes 7th - 10th forms. The history of WW II is taught in the 10th form and the topic of the Holocaust is examined by students in greater depth than in the 5th form. The students analyse documents of the Holocaust as well as testimonies of the participants of historical events.

• The third stage includes 11th - 12th forms, and the Holocaust is examined in the 12th form.

The Holocaust is included in the national graduation examinations.

6. How many hours are allocated to teaching and learning about the Holocaust in schools?

The mandatory number of lessons for covering a topic is not specified in Lithuanian schools. The teacher and the school decide on how many lessons will be devoted to a particular topic but all topics must be covered. In history studies, this topic usually receives about 10 lessons, although specific and accurate statistical data is not being collected. In extracurricular activities, most schools that participate in activities of education about the Holocaust in Lithuania assign about 34 hours per year.

Moreover, the Holocaust is taught for about three hours under each of the following topics: in the 8th form in literature classes under the topic "the Diaries of Anne Frank"; in the literature textbook for the 9th form (Nijole Šervenikaite, "Nenurimstanti ieško dvasia...", Part II, 1998) and under the topic "Vaižgantas. Pragiedruliai. The epic of the national Lithuanian revival" (the excerpt examined is related to the cooperation of the Lithuanian Jews against the occupation regime of tsarist Russia).

The topic "Literature of the Lithuanian Jews and literature on the Holocaust" is covered in 23 pages in the Literature Textbook (Vilnius: Baltos Lankos, 2004) for the 12th form. However, the number of lessons devoted to the examination of this topic is also decided by the school and the teacher. The state does not fix a particular number of lessons for each topic.

7. In what areas of study (history, literature, sociology, theology) is the Holocaust taught? In each case, briefly outline the rationale for teaching the Holocaust in this particular subject area.

The Holocaust is examined in different aspects in history, literature, and ethics and religion classes.

History classes present the factual side and historical documents.

Literature classes examine the depiction of the Jewish catastrophe in the works of literature (under the topic "The Diaries of Anne Frank". Excerpts from national literature related to the life of the Jews in Lithuania are also examined).

Ethics and religion classes examine the ethical aspects of the subject; a lot of attention is paid to the issues of Judaism (Joe Jenkins. Šių laikų dorovines problemos. Etikos vadovelis vyresnems klasems. Vilnius, 1997 [J. Jenkins, Contemporary Issues in Ethics. An Ethics Textbook for Higher Forms. Vilnius, 1997] (9 pages); L. Jekentaite, R. Sabaliauskaite. Žmogus tarp žmonių. Etika IX-X klasems. Vilnius, 2002 [L. Jekentaite, R. Sabaliauskaite. A Human among Humans. Ethics for the 9th - 10th Forms. Vilnius, 2002] (6 pages)).

8. (a) What historical, pedagogical and didactic training is provided to teachers of the Holocaust at either the university level or the professional development level in your country?

Teaching the Holocaust at Lithuanian universities is either integrated in the mandatory courses or available as an optional course.

From 1995 - 2003, the History Faculty of Vilnius Pedagogical University, together with B'nai B'rith International and the Training Centre for Teachers, organised, on average, three seminars every year for teachers on the topic of Holocaust education. The seminars were conducted at different levels, aiming at the professional training of teachers.

From 2002, in implementing Teaching about the Holocaust and Crimes of Totalitarian Regimes, Prevention of Crimes against Humanity and Tolerance Education Programme, the International Commission has established a Network of Tolerance Education Centres, which at the moment unites 43 centres, the number of which is constantly growing. A comprehensive teachers' training programme has been prepared for the teachers-trainers (multipliers) who manage these centres and participate in their activities. During the seminars in Lithuania and abroad, organised on the basis of cooperation agreements with partner organisations in Israel, U.S., and other countries, these teachers are given a comprehensive history of the Holocaust and the methodologies used in other countries. The Tolerance Education Centres are managed by a specially selected group of about 60 teachers of various subjects, for whom the special teachers-trainers (multipliers) programme has been created. The teachers apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the seminars in their classes and in the activities of Tolerance Education Centres, organise an interdisciplinary implementation of the programme, as well as seminars for the school and the local communities. Some of these teachers will take part in preparing the methodological package for teaching the Holocaust.

Another type of seminar is organised for teachers of various subjects who are engaged in the activities of the Tolerance Education Centre during which they are introduced to the history of the Holocaust and its topics, as well as the basics of educational and project management and educology2.

A third type of seminar is organised for other teachers of various subjects (who are not part of Tolerance education network yet). These seminars are more introductory in their focus. During these seminars for teachers basic facts about the Holocaust are presented. Teachers are given interactive tasks to discuss the crimes against humanity committed by the Nazi occupation regime and the local collaborators. New pedagogical approaches developed by the International Commission and the most effective methods of teaching about the Holocaust are also introduced. Some of the participants of these seminars subsequently join the teachers-trainers (multipliers) programme organised by the International Commission, establish Tolerance Education Centres, and implement projects in their schools.

During the conferences, seminars, and discussions, school administrators are introduced to the experience of other countries in Holocaust education, and discussions about the mission and the vision of Tolerance Education Centres are encouraged.

In organising the education of teachers, the International Commission takes into consideration the needs of local communities, as well as changes in society and the political situation in Lithuania.

8. (b) How many teacher-training sessions are held each year, and how many teachers are involved?

1995-2003
The History Faculty of Vilnius Pedagogical University, together with B'nai B'rith International and the Training Centre for Teachers, organised, on average, three seminars every year for teachers on the topic of Holocaust education, which were attended by groups of about 30 teachers. In total, about 450 teachers from various areas of Lithuania took part in this programme. Most teachers took part in several seminars. A group of 60 teachers-trainers was trained. The programme was funded by B'nai B'rith International, with assistance from Vilnius Pedagogical University.

Under the Teaching about the Holocaust and Crimes of Totalitarian Regimes, Prevention of Crimes against Humanity and Tolerance Education Programme implemented by the International Commission, seminars for teachers are organised in Lithuania and in the most famous centres for Holocaust education abroad. This project is supported by the International Task Force, Claims Conference, Yad Vashem, B'nai B'rith International, Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, and others.

2002

• A seminar for 50 Lithuanian teachers "The Holocaust Education Programme for Secondary Schools in Lithuania" on September 25, as a part of the international conference "Holocaust in Lithuania in the Focus of Modern History, Education and Justice";

• A seminar for 10 English-speaking history teachers and educators from museums on September 26;

2003

• A seminar for 25 teachers "The Holocaust Education Programme for Secondary Schools in Lithuania" on January 18;
• An introductory conference for 50 candidates to the teachers-trainers programme on April 24 - 25;

• A seminar "Philosophy and Methodology of Holocaust Education" in Yad Vashem for 25 teachers-trainers (multipliers) on June 7 - 21;
• 4 teachers and educators participated at the summer seminar arranged by the European office of "Facing History and Ourselves" in Berlin on July 19 - 25;

• 2 teachers participated at the summer seminar of the University of Minnesota, held in Washington D.C. on July 7 - 11;

• A seminar "The aspects of implementation of the Holocaust education programme in Lithuanian secondary schools" for 25 teachers-trainers on August 29 - 30;

• Follow up activities for nearly 400 local teachers in 2003 - 2004 by 19 teachers-trainers;

• A seminar "Teaching about the Shoah: Tools and Methods" by an expert from Yad Vashem in Vilnius on September 15 - 17 for 25 teachers-trainers, 25 other teachers, and 20 educators from abroad;
• An international conference "Litvaks and their World" with the participation of 45 teachers-trainers and 15 other teachers on September 21 - 23;

• A seminar "Nurturing Tolerance for Future generations" for about 100 teachers on November 21, 2003;

• A seminar "The Latest Researches of the International Commission" for 45 teachers-trainers and other teachers on December 14 - 18;

2004

• The conference "Tolerance Education is a Bridge to XXI Century Civic Society" for 35 headmasters of the secondary schools that participate in the Programme was arranged February 20;
• The seminar for 20 coordinators of the newly established Tolerance Education Centres in Kaunas secondary schools and other teachers took place on February 27;

• 6 teachers participated in Winter and Summer Seminars in Yad Vashem in 2003 - 2004;

• 2 educators from the International Commission participated at the European Seminar "History and Remembrance" in Belgium in March; this seminar was organised in the framework of the project of the Council of Europe "Teaching Remembrance - education for the prevention of crimes against Humanity";
• 2 educators from the International Commission participated in the special conference for educators "Teaching the Holocaust to Future Generations" at Yad Vashem on August 8 - 11;
• A seminar "Methodology of Holocaust Education for Teaching Remembrance" by experts from Yad Vashem for 40 teachers-trainers, 20 teachers from tolerance education centres, and 40 other teachers (altogether 100 teachers) in August 27 - 31;
• 30 coordinators and members of administration of the Tolerance Education Centres participated in the seminar "Management of Tolerance Education Centres: team building, education activities and fund raising" September 27 - 28;
• 40 teachers-trainers (multipliers) and 20 teachers of different subjects from all Lithuania in two groups participated in the seminar "Crimes against Humanity in Lithuania in the XX Century" on October 25 - 28 and on November 8 - 11;
• 12 one-day seminars "Teaching the Holocaust for Prevention of Crimes against Humanity: Methods and Tools" conducted by experts of the Commission in teachers in-service training centres in most regions of Lithuania were organised for about 385 teachers, February - November;
• Teachers-trainers (multipliers) after the seminars organised follow-up activities for the local teachers in their Tolerance Education Centres or their schools, implementing the principle of the Holocaust education network "teacher-to-teacher". They presented the main research of the International Commission and the Holocaust education programme, historical knowledge, methodological guidelines, and didactic material received in the seminars. Altogether more than 400 teachers participated in these activities.

2005

• The seminar "How to Prepare Successful Seminar for Other Teachers" for 20 teachers-trainers (multipliers) was arranged on January 5;

• 2 English-speaking teachers participated at Winter and Summer Seminars in Yad Vashem;

• The seminar in the newly established Tolerance Education Centre in Ariogala secondary school for 50 teachers and students took place on January 6;

• The conference "Lithuania in WWII" for 100 teachers of history was arranged in Kaunas on January 7;
• The seminar "The Second World War - Holocaust in Lithuania" for nearly 30 teachers was organised on February 7;

• Together with the NGO Centre for the Studies of the Culture and History of East European Jews the special teachers' training programme "To Perceive the Unknown: History and Culture of Jews in Eastern Europe" was introduced;
• The seminar "Coexistence of Jews and Christians in Lithuania" for 50 teachers of different subjects (18 teachers-trainers included) was arranged on January 24 - 27;

• The seminar "Literature and Art of Lithuanian Jews" for 59 teachers of different subjects was arranged on March 14 - 16;

• 11 teachers and educators from the International Commission and Tolerance Education Centres participated in the international Teacher Training Conference on the issues of teaching the Holocaust for Ukrainian and Lithuanian teachers in Kiev, Ukraine; February 14 - 16; the seminar was organised by The London Jewish Cultural centre in partnership with the International Commission, Tkuma in the Ukraine, Yad Vashem (Israel), and Anna Frank House (Holland);
• 6 one-day introductory seminars "Nurturing Tolerance for Future Generations" were arranged in cooperation with the Tolerance Education Centres for about 250 teachers of different subjects from local schools, February - June;
• 20 Russian-speaking teachers-trainers (multipliers) of different subjects participated at the tailor-made seminar "Philosophy and Methodology of the Holocaust Education" in Yad Vashem, June 13 - 27;
• 2 teachers participated in the summer seminar in USHMM (Washington D.C.) and New York Museum of Jewish Heritage, August 22 - 28;
• 25 coordinators and members of administration of the Tolerance Education Centres participated in the seminar "Management of Tolerance Education Centres: team building, education activities and fund raising", September 9 - 11;
• 20 teachers-trainers (multipliers) participated at the seminar "Visual History Pilot Project Initial Workshop" on September 26;
• 26 teachers-trainers (multipliers) participated at the Yad Vashem follow-up seminar "Didactics and Methodology of Teaching the Holocaust in Lithuania Today", October 24 - 27;
• Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, B'nai B'rith International and International Commission cooperated in organising teachers' training programme "Holocaust in Lithuania: Learning and Teaching";
• The first level seminar "Holocaust in Lithuania: Learning and Teaching" for the first group of teachers from all Lithuania was arranged on November 21 - 25. 40 Lithuanian teachers participated at the lectures of the well-known local historians. The educator from the USHMM conducted the workshops and presented new strategies in teaching the Holocaust;
• 30 teachers of different subjects participated in the third seminar arranged together with the NGO Centre for the Studies of the Culture and History of East European Jews "Listen Israel and Do What God Told You" held December 7-9

2006

• The second seminar in cooperation with the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and B'nai B'rith International "Holocaust in Lithuania: Learning and Teaching" for the group of 29 teachers of history was arranged on January 23 - 27; The well-known Lithuanian historians raised significant problems about the history of Jews in Lithuania, their identity at the end of the nineteenth century, the issues of the Holocaust. The educator from Israel recommended by B'nai B'rith International conducted the workshops and presented methods and tools of teaching the Holocaust based on Lithuanian material. Part of the workshop was conducted in the State Gaon Museum
• The third seminar in cooperation with the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and B'nai B'rith International "Holocaust in Lithuania: Learning and Teaching" for the group of 30 teachers-trainers (multipliers) was arranged on January 29 - February 2; part of the workshop was conducted in the Kaunas IX Fort Museum.

• 1 English-speaking teacher participated in the Winter Seminar at Yad Vashem;

• 45 coordinators and members of administration of the Tolerance Education Centres participated at the seminar "Management of Tolerance Education Centres: team building and preparation to commemorate Day of Holocaust Remembrance", March 21 - 24;
• 8 one-day seminars "How to Develop Sense of Tolerance: Methods and Tools" conducted by experts of the International Commission in most regions of Lithuania were organised for about 230 teachers, April - May;
• 20 Russian-speaking teachers-trainers (multipliers) of different subjects participated at the tailor-made seminar "Philosophy and Methodology of Holocaust Education" in Yad Vashem on June 11 - 24; the comprehensive teachers training programme contained lectures, workshops, and field trips to the most famous museums of Israel. The lectures and workshops conducted by renowned Yad Vashem educators covered the topics of Holocaust history and methodology of teaching the Holocaust for the students of different ages, discussions between curriculum developers of Yad Vashem and Lithuanian teachers;
• 1 educator participated in the summer seminar in USHMM (Washington D.C.) and New York Museum of Jewish Heritage, August 19 - 26;
• 26 experts, coordinators, and members of the administration of the Tolerance Education Centres participated in the seminar "Management of Tolerance Education Centres: team building, education activities", August 21-24; during this seminar two coordination groups of the Tolerance Education Network were established: group of experts responsible for the content of seminars and methodological materials development and group of administrators responsible for the promotion, political and financial support of programme itself;
• 1 teacher participated in a seminar in Auschwitz-Birkenau at the international seminar for history teachers organised by Yad Vashem and Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum, September 6 - 10;
• 20 teachers-trainers (multipliers) participated at the Yad Vashem follow-up seminar "Teaching about the Holocaust: new methods and tools" on September 29 - 30 in Kedainiai;
• In implementing projects supported by the Task Force, the NGO "The House of Memory" - Centre for Studies and Commemoration of the Holocaust and Jewish Heritage in Lithuania - organises methodological seminars for teachers. In organising essay contests for schoolchildren on the topic "My Grandparents' and Great-Grandparents' Jewish Neighbors" for four years in succession, two seminars per year were organised for 30 teachers in 2001 - 2003 in different areas of Lithuania.

8. (c) What funding is available for training in the teaching of the Holocaust in your country?

Holocaust education in Lithuania is implemented by governmental and non-governmental organisations. They receive funding from the budget of state institutions and other funds under the programmes and projects implemented.

The professional training programme for teachers carried out at Vilnius Pedagogical University was financed by B'nai Brith International, with assistance from Vilnius Pedagogical University.

The implementation of the Teaching about the Holocaust and Crimes of Totalitarian Regimes, Prevention of Crimes against Humanity and Tolerance Education Programme, implemented by the International Commission, is supported financially by the International Task Force, the Claims Conference, B'nai B'rith International, U.S. Embassy Democracy Commission, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, and others.

9. Has your country instituted a national Holocaust Memorial Day? If so, in which ways is this day marked and commemorated? What difficulties have you encountered in establishing this day of remembrance in the national consciousness?

In Lithuania, Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 23 September to commemorate the victims of the destruction of the Vilnius ghetto in Paneriai in 1943. In 1994, 23 September was declared the National Memorial Day for the Genocide of the Lithuanian Jews and from that time it has been commemorated every year. The Commission for the Preparation of National Holidays under the Ministry of Culture is responsible for the programmes of official events.

The 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Jewish genocide was commemorated on 23 September 2001. On this occasion, a special Seimas session was convened and other official events were organised. A scientific conference "The Lost World of the Lithuanian Jews" was organised in Telšiai and a meeting of the subcommittee of the International Commission took place in Vilnius. The Lithuanian Embassy in the U.S. organised a commemorative event in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.

In 2003, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the destruction of the Vilnius ghetto, the Temporary Organisational Work Group was formed, consisting of representatives of the President, the Prime Minister's office, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, and other governmental and non-governmental institutions. The events on National Holocaust Memorial Day were attended by a delegation from Israel, representatives of Great Britain responsible for the commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day in their country, representatives of international Jewish organisations, and other guests.

In 2004, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, the Commission for the Organisation of National Holidays of the Republic of Lithuania prepared a programme for the official events taking place on September 22 - 23. The Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum organised the official opening of the permanent exposition "The Lost World". This is a special exhibition for the works of art of the Lithuanian Jews, which were forcefully dissipated, destroyed, but miraculously preserved. The Embassy of Great Britain and the Foundation for Educational Change presented the completion of the project of signposting Holocaust sites and presenting the information on the website www.shoah.smm.lt, which was implemented by the Holocaust Educational Trust Fund directed by Lord Janner.

Regional communities and schoolchildren are becoming more actively involved in Holocaust commemoration activities through projects implemented by other governmental and non-governmental organisations.

The International Commission as a part of Teaching about the Holocaust and Crimes of Totalitarian Regimes, Prevention of Crimes against Humanity and Tolerance Education Programme, together with the Tolerance Education Centres established in the secondary schools, organises the Memorial Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews (National Holocaust Remembrance Day), inviting all schools, local communities, and Holocaust survivors.

In 2004, on the initiative of the International Commission, the Tolerance Education Centres and other secondary schools organised an educational project "The Living History of Lithuanian Jews", which is planned to be an annual event. Students collected historical materials about the cultural, religious, political, and public life of the Jews in their respective cities before the Second World War. On the basis of these materials, students prepared multimedia or written reports "The Life of the Jews in Our City before the War". To commemorate the genocide, the Tolerance Education Centres established by the International Commission organised a series of events all around Lithuania, "The Living History of Lithuanian Jews", which were attended by about 2,000 students.

In 2005, to commemorate National Holocaust Remembrance Day, the International Commission initiated and organised commemorative events on the local and national levels. The educational project was carried out from 1 September - 15 October. The following events were initiated and arranged:

• Regional competitions of the educational projects "Living History of Lithuanian Jews" for the local schools in five Tolerance Education Centres,

• The national conference in Vilnius with the presentations by the winners of the competitions,
• The civil action "Never Again?" within the network of Tolerance Education Centres all over Lithuania.

Regional competitions of the educational projects "Living History of Lithuanian Jews"
Five Tolerance Education Centres selected by the Commission in different administrative regions of Lithuania arranged regional competitions for the local schools. Students and teachers from different schools arranged the educational projects "Living History of Lithuanian Jews" and made the presentations for the conferences. The participants of the project communicated with the survivors and representatives of local Jewish communities, collected historical material about life, religion, culture and traditions of Jews in their towns before the Catastrophe. All the educational projects in the shape of multimedia presentations were presented in the final regional conferences arranged in five Tolerance Education Centres from 26 September - 1 October. The conferences were organised with the support of the Litvaks' Foundation.

The national conference "Living History of Lithuanian Jews" in Vilnius
On 23 September the Commission arranged the national conference "Living History of Lithuanian Jews" in Vilnius. The winners of five regional competitions were invited to present their projects. All the multimedia presentations included visual and audio interviews with the survivors or their neighbors. The participants of the conference were Holocaust survivors, rescuers, educators, and teachers with the students.

The civil action "Never Again?"
On 23 September the International Commission with the support of the network of Tolerance Education Centres in all major cities of Lithuania organised the civil action "Never Again?" ("Yellow butterfly"). Other schools and local communities were invited. The aim of the action was to draw attention that the world community has not learned the lessons of the Holocaust as genocides have taken place in different parts of the world since the end of World War II. Preparation for the action was done in the classes. The action started at 10 a.m. in central squares of cities and towns. Students with teachers drew colorful butterflies with the names of the places were the genocides took place in the twentieth century and wrote the words "Never again?" After that they handed out yellow butterflies to passers-by and told them about the meaning of Remembrance Day. All the participants of the national conference together with other secondary schools took part in this civil action in Vilnius. More than 4,000 students participated at these events.

In 2006, to commemorate National Holocaust Remembrance Day, the International Commission with the support of the network of Tolerance Education Centres in all major cities of Lithuania initiated and organised the civil action "The Flower of Remembrance". Other schools and local communities were invited. The aim of the action was to commemorate victims of the Holocaust and to honor Righteous among the Nations who saved Jewish lives. The sunflower was a symbol of the event. The sunflower symbolises light and goodness. Another symbolic meaning of the flower is connected with black and yellow colors. Black stands for the Holocaust, as it is one of the most tragic events in Lithuanian history. Yellow symbolises those Lithuanian citizens who saved Jewish people during World War II. These citizens' goodwill and courage have been appreciated and rewarded by the world community. Out of all rewarded people there are over six hundred Lithuanians and we should show their example to our students.

After a few weeks of preparation activities and discussions devoted to this event in class time, students come to the streets and squares of the cities and towns with sunflowers in their hands. Some of the sunflowers were real; others were made by students from paper. On the paper flowers' leaves student wrote facts about pre-war Jewish life in Lithuania, the Holocaust, and the names of those who took risks to save Jewish people's lives. During the activity, paper flowers and paper petals were distributed by students among the people in the streets of cities and towns. And students took the real flowers to Holocaust memorial sites. This action took place in all major cities of Lithuania.

The NGO "The House of Memory" has been inviting Lithuanian schoolchildren and teachers to events organised in remembrance of victims of the Jewish genocide for four consecutive years now. In previous years, these types of events were already taking place at the Paneriai Memorial, Kaunas IX Fort Museum, and Kėdainiai Cultural Centre. This year, schoolchildren from Šiauliai, Kaunas, Panevėžys, Šakiai, Prienai, Kaišiadorys, Rokiškis, and other districts gathered in Švenčioniai Zigmo Žemaičio gymnasium. The story from living witnesses about the life of the Jews in pre-war Švenčioniai was presented, director V.Reivytis' film "Vilnius - the City of Youth" was shown, and memorial sites and the monument for the victims of mass murders were visited.

In order to achieve wider educational impact of Memorial Day commemorations, it is planned to expand the location and the audience of events by supporting the initiatives of the Tolerance Education Centres established by the International Commission and of other organisations, and by getting the regional authorities involved.

10. Has your country established a national Holocaust memorial and/or museum? What numbers of students visit this memorial/museum each year?

The Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum was reestablished in Vilnius in 1989. In 1990, a permanent exhibition "Catastrophe" on the history of the Holocaust in Lithuania was opened. The building on Pamėnkalnio St. 12 in Vilnius, where the exhibition is located, is not related to the history of the Jews or the Holocaust.

The Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum has a branch about 10 km from Vilnius in Paneriai - the site of the greatest mass murder of Jews in Lithuania during the Second World War, with an exhibition on the tragic history of this place. The Paneriai Memorial has been erected in remembrance of the Holocaust victims.

More than 12,500 visitors from 44 countries visited the museum in 2003. Visitors from Lithuania comprised 12 per cent of all the visitors, and most of them were school and university students. (Note: this is a rather high percentage in comparison to the previous years. The statistics on visitors have been prepared on the basis of visitor registration journals which record the date, the number of visitors, and the country).

In 1941 - 1944, the Nazis murdered about 50,000 people in Kaunas' IX Fort, including 30,000 prisoners of the Kaunas ghetto and 10,000 Jews from France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Kaunas' IX Fort Museum was established in 1958 and became the symbol of the remembrance of the Holocaust victims.

Therefore, the main educational aims of the museum are to introduce the major historical periods of Kaunas' IX Fort to young people and the public, prepare and implement educational programmes and projects which would contribute to bringing up mature and responsible members of civil society and inspire respect for universal human values, as well as to promote tolerance among representatives of different nationalities, political views, and religious beliefs. In order to shape the historical memory and introduce schoolchildren and young people to the Nazi and the Soviet occupations and their particularities in Lithuania, the museum organises various events, living history lectures, and meetings. More than 100,000 visitors visit the museum every year: schoolchildren, adults, and foreign guests.

11. Please estimate the percentage of students in your country who visit authentic sites, and list three primary sources of funding available in your country for visits to authentic sites.

The following authentic sites related to Jewish history belong to the Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum: the Tolerance Centre, established on the premises of a former Jewish theatre, and the Paneriai Museum, opened on the site of mass murders. (See item 10 for statistical data on the visitors.)

The students visiting the museum come as part of organised school groups, usually classes. The museum has received a growing number of students from all over Lithuania during the past few years. The visit to the Jewish museum is included in the budget of educational projects related to the history of the Holocaust. Such projects have so far been one of the main stimuli for visiting the museum's exhibitions and the Paneriai mass murder site. School groups that come to Vilnius from various areas of Lithuania to visit the largest museums almost never stop at the Jewish museum (excursions to the "Catastrophe" exhibition and Paneriai are free). This may be explained by both the lack of information about the museum and its services (guided tours in exhibitions and Jewish Vilnius, an opportunity to meet with Holocaust survivors directly) and the lack of particular interest or will on the part of teachers. The lack of financial resources may also be a reason.

Students comprise 60 per cent of about 100,000 visitors to Kaunas' IX Fort Museum every year. The museum holds regular lectures on the history of the Holocaust which are attended not only by Lithuanian schoolchildren but also by young people from Israel, Russia, and other countries. In the museum, students can see expositions on one of the most tragic periods in the history of the Jewish nation - the Holocaust - watch videos, as well as meet living witnesses of history and former prisoners of the ghetto. Students from secondary schools in Kaunas, Vilnius, and other cities attend these lectures. The founder of Kaunas' IX Fort Museum is the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania and, therefore, the museum is funded with budgetary resources. The museum is usually visited by organised student groups from all around Lithuania and from abroad. When preparing educational projects and programmemes, teachers include the museum visit into the estimates enabling students to see the museum and its expositions.

More than 200 Holocaust sites are established in almost all areas of the country. Plaques in remembrance of the Holocaust victims are put in most mass murder sites in Lithuania (202 sites are known). On the initiative of the Chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust in the United Kingdom, Lord Janner of Brownstone QC, part of the Baltic Mass Graves Project - signposting mass murder sites in Lithuania - has been implemented. The Foundation for Educational Change has posted information about this project, as well as the map of the mass murder sites in Lithuania, on its website www.shoa.smm.lt. Student groups visit these sites. This depends on the initiative of teachers or on the project implemented by a school, regional museum, or some other local institution/organisation. This initiative should be further promoted so that mass graves in remote locations are visited and looked after. (Note: the results of a survey conducted by the Centre for Research on the Genocide and Resistance of the Inhabitants of Lithuania could be relied upon here. One of the findings shows that students usually remember visiting these sites for a long time).

12. What are the three major textbooks used in teaching the Holocaust in your country? How many pages do your school textbooks allocate to the Holocaust, and on which aspects do they focus?

The documents regulating the system of education do not use the concept of "major textbooks". For example, in the 5th form, a school may chose from among five textbooks. The following textbooks are most widely used:

Rimvydas Laužikas ir kt. Kelias. Lietuvos istorijos vadovėlis 5 klasei. V., 2000 [R. Laužikas et al., The Road. Textbook of the History of Lithuania for the 5th Form. Vilnius, 2000] (three pages on the Holocaust in Lithuania)

Kasperavičius A. ir kt. Naujausiųjų laikų istorija. Vadovėlis 10 klasei. V., 2004 [A. Kasperavičius et al., Modern History. Textbook for the 10th Form. Vilnius, 2004] (four pages on the Holocaust in Europe and six pages on the Holocaust in Lithuania)

Kamuntavičius R. ir kt. Lietuvos istorija 11 - 12 klasėms. V., 2000 [R. Kamuntavičius et al., History of Lithuania for the 11th-12th Form, Vilnius, 2000] (three pages on the Holocaust in Lithuania; the Holocaust in Europe is taught from another textbook).

The following teaching materials which were prepared for schools may be used for supplementary teaching about the Holocaust:

Knyga mokyklai apie Holokaustą. Pirma dalis. Kaip mokyti holokausto istorijos. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, B'nai B'rith International), 1999, 2002 [The Holocaust Book for Schools. Part One: How to Teach the History of the Holocaust. Vilnius: R. Paknio Publishing House (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, B'nai B'rith International), 1999, 2002]

Knyga mokyklai apie Holokaustą. Antra dalis. Žydų istorijos apžvalga. Lietuvos žydai. Holokausto dokumentai. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 1999, 2002 [The Holocaust Book for Schools. Part Two: Review of Jewish History. Vilnius: R. Paknio Publishing House, 1999, 2002]

Morkus J. Saulėlydis Lietuvoje. Pažintis su Lietuvos žydų bei Holokausto istorija. Vilnius: Garnelis, 2001 [J. Morkus, Twilight in Lithuania. An Introduction to the History of the Lithuanian Jews and the Holocaust. Vilnius: Garnelis, 2001]

Šoa Lietuvoje. Skaitiniai. Sudarė J. Levinsonas. I tomas. V., 2001; II tomas. V., 2004 [J. Levinson (ed.), Shoah in Lithuania: A Reader. Volume 1, Vilnius, 2001; Volume 2, Vilnius, 2004]

Film: J. Morkus and V. Reivytis, "Twilight in Lithuania. An Introduction to the History of the Lithuanian Jews and the Holocaust". The Centre for School Training, 2001

CD "The Holocaust in Lithuania". Prepared by A. Anušauskas and D. Judeikytė. Vilnius: The Centre for Research on the Genocide and Resistance of the Inhabitants of Lithuania, 2001.

13. What strategies of differentiation are typically used to make the study of the Holocaust accessible to students of different ages and with different learning needs?

Material about the Holocaust presented in school textbooks for students in different forms is written taking into account the difference in their age, background, and overall knowledge and avoiding potentially psychologically traumatising particulars of the Holocaust. Students in higher forms are introduced to more historical sources which are more complex. Historical sources are usually considered to be a more objective source of information than an author's text. The complexity of the tasks and objectives given to students depends on their age. Students in higher forms take part in various projects and collect historical information about the Holocaust.

The International Commission is preparing a methodological package of Teaching about the Holocaust and Crimes of Totalitarian Regimes, Prevention of Crimes against Humanity and Tolerance Education Programme. It will fill in the gaps that still exist and present historical information in a much wider context, drawing on social sciences, literature, ethics, religion, arts, and other subjects. The package will consist of the education programme, didactic and methodological publications, the list of recommended historical and fictional literature, visual materials (posters, maps, educational documentary and motion-picture films, CDs, website addresses, etc.). The methodological package will be prepared in several stages, making use of the experience of the foreign countries and the local teachers-trainers. Teachers-trainers, together with education experts and historians, will prepare an experimental optional course and the course materials for teaching about the Holocaust in various age groups of schoolchildren. The International Commission has already begun forming the methodological package by collecting and making available the package of materials on the Holocaust used by the most active teachers-trainers and other teachers who teach different age groups in various subjects. The methodological package will be constantly updated with new didactic and methodological materials.

14. How far and in what ways is your country's own national history integrated into the teaching of the Holocaust?

Since the Holocaust took place in Lithuania as well, it is taught in the European and the Lithuanian context. The Holocaust in Lithuania is an inseparable part of the history of Lithuania, World War II, and the Nazi occupation of Lithuania.

During its several years of work, the International Commission has carried out historical research and accumulated some very valuable historical materials. These materials are presented by the International Commission to the academic community, teachers, and the wider public during various conferences and seminars. Commission researchers present their work to the public and teachers in conferences and various types of seminars, discussing the topics and the particularities of the Holocaust in the context of Lithuanian history, the background of antisemitism, as well as the role of the Nazis and local collaborators in the mass murder of the Jews. Historical research will be used in preparing the methodological package for teaching about the Holocaust.

15. What are the three major obstacles to teaching and learning about the Holocaust in your country?
1.    Insufficient motivation and qualification of some teachers.
2.    Lack of literature available for teachers about the Holocaust in Europe and Lithuania, especially about teaching methodologies.
3.    Insufficient ability of school administrations to view teaching about the Holocaust within a larger process of education, especially in teaching the subjects of ethical and civic education, literature, and art, as well as in the extracurricular work at schools.


NOTE:
1.    The International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania was formed by the decree of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, on 7 September 1998. The international commission is an independent organisation. Commission members are established scholars, public figures from the U.S., Great Britain, Israel, Russia, Lithuania, and Germany. Goals of the International Commission are:

- To conduct objective research and to fill in the existing gaps in the modern history of Lithuania and to help Lithuania participate in historical and sociological research which has been generated in the West during the last 50 years.

- To stimulate the process of historical justice understanding of the origins of the crimes of the Nazi and Soviet occupations and their consequences on the states and societies of Europe as well as to promote cooperation among local and international partners in achieving this difficult task.

-To educate society by publicising and disseminating the information generated, to inform citizens and students of all age groups about the Holocaust as well as crimes committed by Soviet regime.

- To advise national decision-making bodies on issues related to the Commission's agenda.

2.    The international term for "educology" is "educational sciences". It contains understanding of pedagogy, didactics, and other elements related with education, and covers the following areas: philosophy of education, education management, history of education, psychology of education, etc.