Through the generosity of Classrooms Without Borders and Yad Vashem in Israel, teachers in Wheeling, West Virginia… who teach about the Holocaust …from public, private and parochial schools, gathered for an exceptional learning opportunity. Lea Roshkovsky, a distinguished Israeli educator who has been teaching at Yad Vashem’s International School of Holocaust Studies for over 25 years, graciously agreed to venture from her itinerary of lectures in Pittsburgh to come to Wheeling to present this special workshop. Lea’s vast wealth of knowledge and ability to impart the information with an emphasis on the individual through personal stories… made a definite impact on the teachers. She also pointed out, for those traveling to Poland with CWB this summer, important things to look for on their trip. As the teachers were leaving the workshop, lamenting that it had ended and discussing what new information they had learned…. I heard one teacher say, “I never thought of framing my approach to teaching the Holocaust to my 8th graders in this way…not as a Jewish problem, but a human problem. I am going to do a whole unit from that perspective from now on!”
Barb Lewine (from Wheeling), an alumni of the 1st CWB trip to Yad Vashem for Jewish educators in 2011, who studied at the International School of Holocaust Studies, said: “I knew the value of having Lea come to talk to teachers in Wheeling. So when Dr. Gur asked me about coordinating the workshop, I assured her if you bring Lea, they will come….and they did! The educators are longing for more scholarly sessions, to enhance their ability to teach the lessons of the Holocaust. We truly hope that Lea will come back again next year….there is so much more to learn.”