Countering Antisemitism through Education

USC Shoah Foundation offers a robust collection of resources, events and activities to counter antisemitism for educators and students—on the USC campus and beyond—for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Initiatives at USC began with the September 16-18 Stronger than Hate Leadership Summit for student leaders. The three-day event, led by USC Shoah Foundation’s Education Department, consisted of guest speakers, discussions and interactions with IWitness and testimonies from the Visual History Archive. 

Participating students grappled with themes including classism at USC, global citizenship and Armenian rights and community issues. By the end of the summit, each student had used survivor testimony to create an activity to counter hate within their respective campus communities. 

“This summit was formed around making the difficult task of addressing on-campus hate more manageable,” said Lacey Schauwecker, a Learning and Development Specialist with USC Shoah Foundation. “Participants embraced testimony as a tool for starting urgent conversations about recognition and inclusion on campus.” 

Below are more highlights of the many events and resources USC Shoah Foundation offers to combat antisemitism with education. 

Scholar Lab 

Beginning in 2020, a cohort of six academics has convened to explore antisemitism through new lenses as part of USC Shoah Foundation’s inaugural Scholar Lab. Since the start of the academic year, the group has held two of three public lecture events. Antisemitism Through Survivor Narratives and Perpetrator Music and Antisemitism: Perspectives from Major Writers and Theorists are available online on the USC Shoah Foundation website. The third event in the series,  Antisemitism and Religion, takes place on November 16.

William P. Lauder Internship program

The highly selective William P. Lauder Internship program will continue its work this semester with a new cohort of middle and high school students. Beginning November 13, 40 grade 7-11 students from around the country will engage with testimonies from survivors and witnesses of genocide as they learn to develop critical thinking and become upstanders and leaders in their communities.

Stronger Than Hate Challenge 

The USC Shoah Foundation and Discovery Education recently announced the winners of the 2022 Stronger Than Hate Challenge. Students aged 13-18 had been invited to create a video, poem, song, blog, or piece of artwork that demonstrated the chosen medium’s potential to create a community that is stronger than hate.

Echoes & Reflections Gringlas Unit on Contemporary Antisemitism

In partnership with ADL and Yad Vashem, the Echoes and Reflections Gringlas Unit is one of USC Shoah Foundation’s most-used resources for teachers and students. The unit uses VHA testimonies to discuss contemporary antisemitism, the forces behind it and how to take action against bias and hate. 

Talk and Take Action: Guides to Countering Antisemitism 

In partnership with Nickelodeon and The Conscious Kid, USC Shoah Foundation has co-written and launched Talk and Take Action: Guides to Countering Antisemitism, The guides, which join a suite of existing educational material for parents and educators, provide age-sensitive resources to encourage recognition of and action against antisemitism.