Holocaust Education Committee of the Quad Cities

You are invited to a free Zoom discussion of the book, The Last Ghetto: An Everyday History of Theresienstadt by Anna Hájková, Czech historian and Associate  Professor at the University of Warwick.

Terezín, also known as Theresienstadt, was a ghetto north-west of Prague. Set up by the Nazis on November 24, 1941, 80 years ago, it was a transit camp for Jews of Czechoslovakia, Central and Western Europe. Most of the prisoners were sent on to ghettos and camps in Nazi-occupied East. In her brilliant study, Anna Hájková painstakingly analyzes the reality of this enforced society, one that goes beyond myths surrounding Theresienstadt. She presents a captivating portrait of the relationships between the Jewish prisoners and their captors as well as among the prisoners themselves.

Zoom meeting: Tuesday, November 30, 2021 (11:45 AM CT)

Please register at: https://www.bit.ly/3GxYjmO

Please see attached flyer for details and sponsors of this event.

“Outsmarting Antisemitism”, a 4-part course presented by Chabad of the Quad Cities, will be held for 4 Tuesdays in November, starting November 2, 2021 at the Bettendorf Public Library (2950 Learning Campus Dr, Bettendorf, IA 52722), from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Course fee is $79.00.

For more information and to register, go to www.myjli.com

You are cordially invited to the award-winning Israeli movie, “Sustainable Nation”, the 5th and final movie in the Environmental Film Series 2021, which will be shown on Sunday, November 14, at 2:00 pm, at the Figge Art Museum Auditorium.

This international film follows three innovators who are taking lessons learned from Israel’s water shortage to the rest of the world. The work of this visionary trio highlights the nexus between food, energy and water, and underscores how solving these enormous challenges can help free women and the world from life-threatening poverty, illness and lack of opportunity.

The movie trailer can be viewed at:

Admission is $5. Tickets may be purchased at riveraction.org or before the movie. 

The Figge requires masks be worn and seating will be limited.

 Our talk-back speaker, Rebecca Shore, producer and writer of Sustainable Nation, will be ZOOMing in live from Israel.

The QC Environmental Film Series is sponsored by River Action, Nahant Marsh, The Joyce & Tony Singh Family Foundation and The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, November 14, 2:00 PM, “Sustainable Nation” movie with Israeli Guest Speaker at the Figge Auditorium.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has released a new series of short animated films: Behind Every Name. Video links:

An athlete’s defiance in the face of Nazi oppression.
A soldier’s courage through captivity.
A friendship across continents.
The rescue of 50 children.
A professor’s plea for help.

Each of the videos in this series tells a story that stands as a testimony and lasts beyond a single lifetime. Each story is based on authentic letters and diaries that document firsthand accounts of the Holocaust so that their truths shall never be forgotten. Behind every name is a story.

Classroom materials to support the videos will be developed.

Holocaust & Peace: Lessons from the Past for the Future is a practical guide for educators created by the Educators’ Institute for Human Rights (EIHR).

Teaching about the Holocaust can inspire students to think critically about the past and their own roles and responsibilities today. Discover access to free lesson plans and resources below. We hope these tools are helpful in the classroom and beyond.

Resources for Teachers and Instructors from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: https://engage.ushmm.org/index.php/email/emailWebview?md_id=7975

Here is the video link to the outstanding program, “The Last Million: Europe’s Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War” with historian and author David Nasaw which aired May 13, 2021.

Link: https://youtu.be/uRVNKTFC0kM

Ida Kramer “Children and the Holocaust” Essay Contest:

1^st Place: Lila Teitle, 11^th grade, Pleasant Valley High School
“Never Forget: A Story of Hope and Forgiveness”

2^nd Place: Mary Roldstad, 10^th grade, Assumption High School
“Mengele’s Twins”

3^rd Place: Anna Prosise, 7^th grade, Central DeWitt Middle School
“The Undercover German Beauty”

Honorable Mentions:
Christina Reyna, 8^th grade, St. Joseph’s Catholic School
“A Time in History Never to Forget”

Ryan McGarry, 8^th grade, St. Joseph’s Catholic School
“Survivors: The Children of the Holocaust Story”

Meyer and Frances Shnurman Holocaust Visual Arts Contest:

1^st Place: Grace Peterson, 7^th grade, Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities
“Peggy Taylor’s Assassination”

2^nd Place: Ella Strader, 8^th grade, Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities
“Maty Anitek (Little Angel)”

3^rd Place: Aviel Ramsey, 12^th grade, Rockridge High School
“The Blood on his Hands”

Honorable Mentions:
Gael Chenus, 8^th grade, Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities
“It Only Takes One”

Johnise Thorson, 7^th grade, Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities
“Despair”

The Quad Cities Yom HaShoah Committee sponsors the annual The Ida S. Kramer “Children and the Holocaust” Essay Contest for Quad City area (Illinois and Iowa) for students in grades 7-12. The Essay Contest, in honor and loving memory of Ida S. Kramer (1926-2015), bears her name. Ida has been the voice of Holocaust education for Quad City schools, civic groups, and the community at large for over 30 years.
2021 Yom Hashoah Essay Contest entry form  

The annual Meyer and Frances Shnurman Visual Arts Contest theme is “Imagery and Expression: A Visual Response to the Holocaust.” The contest is open to students in grades 7-12 in the Greater Quad City area. The Visual Arts Contest bears the name of Meyer and Frances Shnurman who were both survivors of Nazi extermination camps.
2021 Holocaust Art Contest rules

Deadline for submission was March 1, 2021.

Flyer: Essay and Art Flyer 2021

April 21st is Holocaust Remembrance Day. For parents and educators who are home-schooling students in grades 7-12, here is a one class period lesson (with extended activities) from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum entitled: “History of Antisemitism and the Holocaust.”