Photo courtesy of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM).

This week marks the 86th Anniversary of Kristallnacht – The Night of Broken Glass

On November 9, 1938, 267 synagogues were destroyed, 7,000 Jewish businesses were attacked, and tens of thousands of Jews in Germany and Austria were arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. This was a turning point in the Nazi’s persecution of the Jews from economic, political and social exclusion to physical violence, and marked the beginning of the Holocaust.

Today, we are witnessing a disturbing increase in efforts to minimize the impact of the Holocaust and downplay the crimes of the Nazis. While hate incidents make headlines, a more subtle form of antisemitism, Holocaust Distortion, is creeping into the mainstream and poses one of the greatest threats to Holocaust education and remembrance. 

TOLI’s International Director, Oana Nestian-Sandu (based in Romania), has been serving as an expert to the International Holocaust Resources Alliance (IHRA) and was the lead drafter of its training materials for educators on what Holocaust distortion is, why it is harmful, and how to counter it. She has been conducting workshops throughout Europe and trained all of our TOLI US regional Teacher Leaders who gathered in Atlanta this summer.    

Oana Nestian-Sandu, TOLI's International Program Director at our seminar for educators in Slovakia.

Teachers in TOLI seminars from Croatia (left) to Atlanta (right) are learning about the dangers of Holocaust distortion.

"Holocaust distortion is pervasive, often appearing in forms more subtle than we may recognize," Oana says. "It is crucial for educators to develop the competencies to identify its manifestations and engage with their students to prevent them from being influenced by such harmful narratives."

We note with sadness the passing of Professor Yehuda Bauer, one of the preeminent historians of the Holocaust, who passed at age 98 on October 18 in Jerusalem. You can view his lecture on Holocaust distortion here. May his memory be a blessing and an inspiration to all who are committed to Holocaust education.

SUPPORT TOLI’S EFFORTS TO GET

THIS TRAINING TO MORE TEACHERS

IN EUROPE AND THE US THROUGH OUR

SAY CHAI* FALL CAMPAIGN.

*"Chai" is the Hebrew word for “Life.” Hebrew letters have numeric values and Chai’s 18 is considered a special number in Jewish tradition.

The Olga Lengyel Institute, based in New York, is a recognized leader of professional development in Holocaust and human rights for teachers throughout the US and Europe. Inspired by the legacy and work of Olga Lengyel, author of “Five Chimneys: A Woman Survivor’s True Story of Auschwitz,” TOLI provides educators with the knowledge and skills they need to make the Holocaust relevant for today’s students.