History - Blog #6

I started my blog on another topic, but stopped writing it after I went to listen to a gentleman named David Faber talk about surviving nine different concentration during WWII. Mr. Faber came to our middle school to talk to the 7th and 8th graders. Before my 7th grade special needs students went to listen to him talk, we discussed what the Holocaust was. As I explained that it was about hating people (terms specials needs students understand) who are different than you, I came to realize that I truly did not know much about the Holocaust. I only know what little I was taught in school, what my parents told me, and what I have seen in movies like Schindler's List. How can I, as a teacher, teach my students a topic that I know little about.

Mr. Faber told stories of how he survived and everyone in his family, all 85 of them were killed. When his mother and sisters were killed in front of him, he made a promise to God, his mother, and his sisters that if he lived, he would share his story with the world. That is what he has done. Mr. Faber wrote a book called Because of Romek (http://www.becauseofromek.com/) that tells his story. He tells how he was one of the lucky ones who had different jobs at each concentration camp from working in mines to searching the bodies of the dead for any gold or valuables they may have. Mr. Faber talks about when the British soldiers came to the concentration camp to free it how two nurses from the Red Cross saved an unconscious skinny boy who had typhus and that he is forever grateful (all the profits from his book go to wondered soldiers foundation).

After listening to him, I wondered what our schools are teaching our children in their history classes about history. With all the standards that our teachers have to teach, do they teach a sugared down version? Before I left to listen to Mr. Faber speak, I asked my son what he knew about the Holocaust. He said the Holowhat? The gentleman who introduced Mr. Faber made a comment that that in 2050 it will be 105 years after the Holocaust and all of the survivors will have had passed away, what will our children know about it?

There are certain periods of time that have defined our country and world. The Holocaust is one of them. We can't let those important times be forgotten, because history has a way of repeating itself, look at the war we are currently in. There are people out in our world that believe that the Holocaust did not happen. Why is that, was it because they were never taught it in school? Will this happen in 75 to 100 years when the Iraq War is taught or not taught in our schools?

I do not teach history to my special needs students, so I do not know what the curriculum is. Could someone please let me know that major events (i.e. The Holocaust) is not being watered down and that our children are being taught the history. History is made our world as it is, without knowing our history, who knows how we would be.

This is an article written about Mr. Faber.
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2009/04/01/local_news/news01.txt

If you are ever in Washington D.C. you must go to the United States Holocuast Memorial. http://www.ushmm.org/