The didactic guide "The Minsk Ghetto" [«Минское гетто»,], created by the Leonid Levin History Workshop in collaboration with the Belarusian Archive of Oral History, is now available in electronic format on the National Educational Portal (under additional materials for the subject "History of Belarus").
This inclusion was approved following an expert review by the Section of History and Social Studies of the Scientific and Methodological Council under the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus for preschool, general secondary, and special education, as well as social and educational work. The decision was made on June 19, 2018. This marks a significant step in preserving the memory of the Holocaust in Belarus and working with young people on this topic. Now, every history teacher in Belarus can access and use these materials in their educational work. The subject is especially relevant now, coinciding with the tragic 75th anniversary of the liquidation of the Minsk Ghetto.
These teaching materials on the history of the Minsk Ghetto were developed by a Belarusian-German team of historians, teachers, and consultants, thereby filling an existing gap. In the accompanying seminars of the traveling exhibition "Extermination Site Maly Trostenez. History and Remembrance," educators and historians had pointed out the lack of suitable teaching materials on the Minsk Ghetto.
The new didactic material consists of 16 learning cards, each addressing a specific question while complementing and building upon each other. The topics include "The Jews of Minsk: Life Before the War,""Establishment of the Ghetto,""‘Life’ in the Ghetto,""Deportation: A One-Way Journey," and "Trostenez: The Site of Mass Extermination," among others. These chapters provide deep insights using excerpts from historical documents, quotes from eyewitnesses, and other sources. Teachers can use the learning cards in any sequence or assign them for group work.
A separate brochure compiles background information for educators on the historical context. A CD includes additional materials, and a glossary of technical terms along with a bibliography complements the didactic material.
The production of these didactic teaching materials was made possible by the International Association of Holocaust Victims.
The uniqueness of this guide lies in its anthropological approach: rather than focusing heavily on dates, it presents numerous personal stories of Holocaust survivors. It aims to move away from generalized narratives and chronological summaries, instead emphasizing individual human destinies. After all, the tragedy of an entire people is composed of the suffering of each individual. Moreover, these stories are directly told by the people who experienced these events.
The authors of the guide strive to evoke empathy in today’s students, breaking through indifference and the habit of rote memorization. For this reason, all tasks in the guide are analytical or creative in nature. Students are not only encouraged to understand the topic but to internalize and process it on a personal level. The guide does not attempt to cover every aspect of the Holocaust but instead provides an in-depth exploration of its themes. Designed by professionals, it equips teachers with tools for interactive classroom activities and promotes the active use of eyewitness testimonies.
The innovative and engaging nature of these materials makes them a notable didactic resource for teachers across Belarus. It is hoped that this initiative will inspire the development of additional educational materials on the history of the Holocaust in Belarusian communities, as well as on the experiences of different groups of war victims.
Read the handbook here.
[The description of the activity, individual projects and products is based on the content of the Initiative's website.]
[Informations provided by Aliaksei Bratachkin]
