Spring Update

Spring Newsletter

April 2024

Commissioner's Corner

Warmest Greetings to the friends of the Tennessee Commission on Holocaust Education.

The world has always been a dangerous place, especially for the Jewish people. The cowardly armed invasion of Israel on October 7 resulting in the murder, rape and torture of more than 1200 people, together with the kidnapping of more than 200 people, has illustrated that the dangers of the past are still with us in the present.

Many of the issues that drove the Holocaust, including Antisemitism, are once again on the rise. This makes the work of the Tennessee Commission on Holocaust Education more important than ever. The Commission, in conjunction with the educators of Tennessee, continues our mission to bring Holocaust education to schools, colleges and public forums.

I would like to especially thank Gov. Bill Lee, Legislative Leadership and the Educators of Tennessee for their unwavering support and commitment to the work of the Tennessee Commission on Holocaust Education.

As many celebrate the upcoming holiday of Passover, we are reminded that we should love the strangers among us, for we were once strangers in the land of Egypt.

-Larry Leibowitz

Commission Chair

Dr. Michael Berenbaum Addresses the Problem of Contemporary Antisemitism

The Tennessee Holocaust Commission partnered with Northeast State Community College to host Dr. Michael Berenbaum in an online webinar on February 28. Dr. Berenbaum’s webinar focused on the complex history of Israel and Palestine, and the challenges of confronting contemporary antisemitism. College students and faculty joined the webinar from across Tennessee, as well as from universities and museums across the United States. The webinar was also recorded for audiences to view following the livestream at their convenience.

View Berenbaum Webinar

Survivor Mark Schonwetter’s Testimony Captivates Students from

Jackson to Johnson City

Survivor Mark Schonwetter bonding with Nashville Mayor,

Freddie O'Connell, over their shared Polish heritage.

On January 23 and 24 the Tennessee Holocaust Commission hosted child survivor, Mark Schonwetter, of Livingston, NJ. Mark’s story left children at Akiva School (Nashville) spellbound as he shared experiences of living in the Polish forest with his mother and sister for four years to evade the Nazis and their collaborators. Following his presentation, students had the opportunity to ask Mark questions during a Q&A session. The following afternoon, Mark sat down with staff historian, Alison Vick, for an in-depth oral history interview, before speaking to an audience of over 200 university students at Vanderbilt University on the evening of January 24.

Mark and daughter, Isabella Fiske, both co-founders of the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation (along with Anne (Schonwetter) Arnold) returned to Middle Tennessee on April 1 and spoke to over 1500 students over two days at MLK Jr. Magnet High School, University School of Nashville, Donelson Christian Academy and Wilson Central High School. THC Staff, Mark and Isabella were also invited to meet Freddie O'Connell, Mayor of Nashville.

Partnering for the second year in a row with Pellissippi State Community College (Knoxville), THC then hosted Mark and Isabella in a webinar on Monday, April 8. Over 200 registrants joined us to bear witness to Mark’s tale of survival and perseverance. College students and faculty joined the event from institutions across the state including: Roane State Community College, Jackson State Community College, University of Tennessee, Northeast State Community College, Tennessee Wesleyan, and Middle Tennessee State University.

Wilson Central High School: Mark and Isabella speaking to a Holocaust Class; Principal Jennifer Ankney, Teacher Fellow Dennis Cox, Mark and Isabella. Below: Donelson Christian Academy; Mark addressing students.

View Schonwetter Webinar

Internationally Acclaimed Holocaust Scholar Visits Middle Tennessee State University

On March 19, the Tennessee Holocaust Commission partnered with Middle Tennessee State University to host internationally acclaimed scholar, Dr. Christopher Browning. Recognized globally for his book, Ordinary Men, Dr. Browning first spoke to 30 advanced students about his work as an expert witness in Holocaust denial cases. In his community event, “Revisiting the Holocaust Perpetrators: Ordinary Men as Killers,” Dr. Browning addressed his pioneering work in the psychology and motivations of the “ordinary men” who transformed into perpetrators of the Holocaust. The following morning, Dr. Browning gave an interview to staff historian, Alison Vick, in which he addressed his work and the urgency in countering contemporary antisemitism.

Above: THC Staff with Dr. Browning and Commissioner Tom Wood

Below: MTSU Professor, Dr. Ashley Valanzola, fielding questions from the audience

Above: Dr. Christopher Browning Below: MTSU students in attendance & Dr. Browning greeting audience members and signing books

Throughout the past year staff historian, Alison Vick, has conducted interviews with Holocaust survivors and leading experts in the field of Holocaust Studies. Beginning in May, the Commission will formally debut each of the interviews. Promotional material, and an online weblink will be sent weekly, introducing the speaker and topic. Designed for classroom use and professionally edited, each of the interviews explores aspects of the Holocaust, commemoration, and the importance of teaching the Holocaust.

Above: Staff with Danny Spungen, Spungen Family Foundation, with some of the Holocaust artifacts he has in relation to Simon Waksberg, Holocaust Survivor who settled in Memphis.

Staff Travel to Winter AHO Conference at the USHMM

On January 5-9, Ken Gluck and Alison Vick represented the Tennessee Holocaust Commission at the Association of Holocaust Organization’s annual winter conference at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Over 150 Holocaust educators in Museums, Commissions, and other organizations from across the United States and Canada attended the conference. The conference included full-day training sessions and discussions in countering contemporary antisemitism, and new pedagogical methods in teaching the Holocaust for students and community members. Featured conference speakers included: Dr. Michael Berenbaum, Dr. Doris Bergen, and Dr. Mark Weitzman.

2G/3G Training Programs

Following the success of the 2G/3G speaker training in Memphis, Ken Gluck launched the Commission’s 2G/3G program in Nashville. This program focuses on training the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors to share their family stories for their communities. On January 28, Ken, joined by our Operations Director, Alyssa Trachtman, and Support Services Manager, Maureen Germain, partnered with the Gordon JCC to welcome twenty registrants to the training session.

Above: 2nd and 3rd Gen sharing their family histories' at the 2G/3G Workshop in Nashville

Austin Peay Professor, Dr. Dave Snyder, presenting to a packed house.

University Professor Fills the Auditorium in Clarksville

Dr. Dave Snyder stirred a full house at Austin Peay State University (Clarksville) on Thursday, April 4. Professor Snyder, a scholar of Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust, delivered an evening presentation titled, “Crimes of the Wehrmacht: The German Army and Genocide on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945.” His talk focused on episodes of ordinary German soldiers participating in the murder of the Jews at Babi Yar, and other sites throughout Eastern Europe. Over 120 students, faculty, community members, and men and women from Fort Campbell attended, leaving standing room only in the auditorium. This marks the second year that the Tennessee Holocaust Commission has partnered with Dr. Snyder and Austin Peay with tremendous success. We look forward to a third year of partnership in Spring 2025!

Ken Gluck Shares Story of Survival, Message of Hope across Tennessee

Throughout the winter months, our Education Coordinator, Ken Gluck, has traveled to schools across the state to speak to middle and high school students. In his speaking engagements, Ken presents, “Armin’s Story,” about his father, Armin Gluck’s experiences at Mauthausen. Most recently, Ken has shared his father’s story with over 200 middle school students at Gibbs Middle School in Knoxville, over 300 high school students in Bell Buckle as well as at multiple schools in Chattanooga.

Commission Debuts

Educator Workshop for

Countering Antisemitism

Tennessee Holocaust Commission staff have developed a new program for educators: “Teaching Students to See: Countering Modern Antisemitism.” The educator program was developed by Ken Gluck and Alison Vick in response to the recent surge in antisemitism across the world. The program incorporates material and strategies used by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. It focuses particularly on teaching educators how to counter antisemitism that students may encounter online, and through social media. The program debuted on February 25 in Chattanooga at the Mizpah Congregation. A virtual option of the program is forthcoming.

Upcoming Opportunities

Belz-Lipman Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education: up to $1500 grant for educators to use in their classroom or on furthering their own Holocaust education. This opportunity is sponsored by the Belz and Lipman families of Memphis, TN. Submissions for this cycle closed April 1, 2024. This year's winners will be announced over the summer.

Kimmelman Student Art and Essay Contest: The Mira Kimmelman “Learning from the Holocaust” Student Contest continues to gain momentum across the state. We encourage teachers to continue to have students submit to the contest for their chance at winning a cash prize, and mention by the Tennessee Holocaust Commission. Contest guidelines for middle school, high school, and community college-level essay and visual arts projects are located on our website under the “Programs” heading. Deadline for community college entries is April 15. The deadline for middle and high school entries is June 1. Thank you to Benno and Gene Kimmelman, sons of Mira Kimmelman, for their generosity in funding this contest.

Kimmelman Contest Application

Teacher Fellow Spotlight: The Commission is fortunate to have over fifty Teacher Fellows across the state. This quarter, we would like to recognize two of our outstanding Teacher Fellows for their unflagging dedication to the Commission, and their commitment to teaching the Holocaust.

Ms. Katie Sumner is an 8th grade ELA teacher in Athens City Schools. This year, she has attended many of the Commission programs and will host Education Coordinator, Ken Gluck, at her school in April.

Ms. Shelby Bowman is a World and American History high school teacher at Lexington High School in Henderson County, TN. Ms. Bowman has attended many of the Commission's workshops and events, including those that required she travel across the state.

Tennessee Holocaust Commission Teacher Fellows Traveling to Dallas

This June, we will take twenty of our committed Teacher Fellows to the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum for two and a half days of intense professional development. Anticipated highlights of the trip include: private tours of the museum, experiencing the “Dimensions in Testimony” programs, and meeting Lois Lowry, famed author of the YA Holocaust book, Number the Stars.

Teacher Fellowship: Join our group of 50 plus teacher fellows and receive special access to trainings and resources from the Tennessee Holocaust Commission. Help us share our events and connect to schools in your part of the state to share Holocaust Education. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Teacher Fellow Application

Teacher Fellow, Steve Reddick, with Education Coordinator Ken Gluck at the Tennessee Literacy Conference.

Teacher Fellow, John Brown, meeting Dr. Christopher Browning after the lecture at Middle Tennessee State University.

Upcoming Calendar:

MAY: Perpetrators Exhibit on display at KJA, Knoxville

5: Memphis Yom HaShoah Speaker Sponsor, Child Survivor, Michael Bornstein;

13: Chattanooga Yom HaShoah Speaker Sponsor

16: Knoxville Yom HaShoah presentation with Alex Kor, son of Survivor, Eva Kor.

JUNE: 9-12: Teacher Fellow Experience: Dallas

If you are interested in having a speaker or exhibit at your school or community group, please contact us at tnholcom@tnholcom.org