IWitness Spotlight: Educational Resources on Antisemitism

Our thoughts are with the families and community of those who were murdered at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh – the most deadly antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

Students will look to you as educators to guide them as they reflect on these events. They may have questions and feelings about this heart-wrenching example of hate.

As you return to the classroom, consider using testimony to engage your students in sensitive and meaningful discussion. Testimony has the power to promote empathy and thus, greater understanding of our world.

We have curated a handful of classroom-ready multimodal activities tailored to a range of ages – from the primary grades to the university level – that address relevant topics to help you engage students in meaningful dialogue.

The activities can all be found on our no-cost education website, IWitness.

Primary School Educators

Use Your Voice: This activity engages students in learning about the meaning of prejudice, its manifestations and impact on individuals. This learning will support students' understanding of the broader issues of individual responsibility and the consequences of our actions.

Middle School Educators

Antisemitism and the Bystander Effect:  In this activity, students develop an understanding of what it means to be a bystander and its impact on individuals.

High School Educators

Contemporary Antisemitism: This activity helps students understand contemporary antisemitism and its impact, including on others in society.

Countering Prejudice with Respect: In this activity students will explore the meaning of prejudice and respect through testimony of individuals who tell of the impact of prejudice and the power of respect to counter it.

University Educators

Countering Intolerance in Co-Curricular Spaces: Students will define and identify intolerance and its connection to other forms of hate and bigotry, draw evidence from audiovisual testimony on the topic of racism and antisemitism, and develop an action plan to increase meaningful human connection on campus.

IWitness Watch Page 

To facilitate and inspire respectful conversations, access curated clips on these and other Watch Page topics:

Antisemitism

Reflections on genocide

Contemporary Antisemitism