The challenges of Holocaust instruction and remembrance – Particular and universal aspects in formal and informal interdisciplinary curricula in Israel and abroad

encounter with a phenomenon that is unique in the history of mankind, i.e. the destruction of the Jews during World War II as a coordinated attempt to annihilate the Jewish “race”. Adolescents are introduced to curricula that include formal instruction of disciplines such as history and literature, as well as informal instruction involving planning and participating in ceremonies, geld trips, study days at Holocaust institutes, the journey to Poland, and volunteer activity on behalf of Holocaust survivors. Holocaust instruction, despite its complexity, oeers the opportunity to encounter the systematic attempt to murder everyone who had Jewish blood iowing in his veins. dis is an encounter with the world’s grst attempted genocide based on racist ideology, rather than religious ideology. Its singularity lies in the all-encompassing intention of its designers and initiators to achieve the complete destruction of all Jews. Despite the long history of persecution of the Jewish people (Graetz, 1954; Hendel, 1950), the act of annihilation by the Nazis was unique in its characteristics – the planning, implementation, scope, execution, and results. All these had never before been seen and therefore had a profound eeect on the Jewish people. de human community as a whole and the Jewish community in particular, have assumed the educational and moral duty to preserve the memory and instill the lessons and values of this inconceivable story, to prevent history from repeating itself. One of the most important means for passing on this memory is by teaching the Holocaust to the younger generation, as this is manifested in curricula in Israel and abroad. de principal hypothesis of this study is that Holocaust instruction in Israel and abroad has the potential to bring about a moral change, and the question is, what is the desired moral change and how is this to be accomplished? de didactic models at schools in Israel and abroad maintain, to varying degrees, formal curricula that impart historical and literary knowledge, alongside informal curricula that constitute a scholastic Introduction nitza davidovich dan soen anat hezkelovich