A new initiative to provide material for secondary schools to teach the Holocaust ‘hit the ground running’, says Kris Clancy, Education Director of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand. The four Holocaust Teaching Trunks travelling the country contain books, items, a teaching guide and links to videos and website activities.
The books about New Zealanders are of particular interest, especially with the New Zealand history curriculum starting next year. The Violinist is valuable in this respect. Not only is it a local story, it is also a story of hope, about the healing power of music. ‘Kids need to see light at the end of the tunnel,’ says Kris.
The Violinist is also featured in another secondary school teaching resource, Just One Week. Its goal is to educate students about the impacts discrimination and antisemitism have had on Jewish lives. It tells the story of the Holocaust through three lenses, one being music.
