Beyond the Holocaust: Making Space for Jewish Peoplehood in the Classroom
When students open a textbook and see Jews mentioned only in the context of the Holocaust, what message are we sending? That Jewish history begins in tragedy — and ends in it?
For many Canadian students, their first and sometimes only exposure to Jewish identity comes through lessons about the Holocaust. While that education is vital, it cannot be the only lens through which we understand the Jewish people. To foster true empathy, understanding and belonging, we must go further.
From Memory to Meaning
Our mission at the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program is to preserve and share the firsthand stories of Holocaust survivors who made Canada their home. These stories teach about unimaginable loss, but they also reveal resilience, identity, culture and hope.
And yet, even the most powerful testimony is incomplete if students aren’t equipped with a broader understanding of Jewish life before, during and after the Holocaust. Who were these people before the war? What communities did they come from? What traditions, dreams and contributions did they carry with them?
To truly honour Holocaust memory, we must make space in our Canadian classrooms for Jewish peoplehood and the fullness of Jewish identity across time, geography and experience.
More Than Victims: Seeing the Full Story
Jewish people make up just 0.2% of the global population, yet they have a history stretching back thousands of years. They have lived — and continue to live — across continents, in diverse cultural, racial and linguistic contexts. They are artists, scholars, social justice leaders, scientists, athletes and so much more.
Reducing the complexity of Jewish people to a single historical tragedy not only flattens Jewish identity, but it also limits the learning opportunities for all students.
When students understand Jewish peoplehood in all its intersectionality, diversity and joy, they are better able to confront antisemitism when they encounter it. They can build more authentic relationships with Jewish peers and see Jewish history as part of the broader human story. This also creates space for Jewish students to see themselves and their histories reflected in the content they are learning.
From Tenuous Threads by Judy Abrams.
Where to Start
Teaching Jewish life beyond the Holocaust doesn’t require an overhaul of the curriculum. It just requires intention. Many provinces’ curricula already offer natural entry points through units on immigration, identity, social justice or Canadian history.
Here are a few simple steps you can take:
Connect to Local Stories: Highlight Jewish immigration in your own province. Many survivors rebuilt their lives in cities and towns across Canada. Sharing those stories through memoirs, photographs or artifacts grounds Jewish history in your students’ communities.
Use First-Person Narratives: Memoirs from the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program offer entry points into Jewish life before the war — from school days in Hungary to holiday celebrations in France — and into the complex rebuilding that happened afterward.
Celebrate Jewish Heritage Month (May): Use Canadian Jewish Heritage Month as a springboard to explore Jewish contributions to Canadian society in culture, cuisine and more.
Explore Diverse Jewish Identities: In addition to exploring Ashkenazi Jewish perspectives, including the voices of Jews of colour, Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, LGBTQ+ Jews and recent immigrants expands students’ understanding and fosters inclusion.
Note:
Ashkenazi Jews have origins in Northern, Central or Eastern Europe, and Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews have origins in Spain, Portugal, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Jews from these different regions vary in the languages they speak and in their customs, foods, prayers and rituals.
Here are some resources you can explore:
- beingjewishinontario.org — A digital exhibit by Facing History & Ourselves and the Ontario Jewish Archives, rich with personal stories and photos.
- The Canadian Jewish Experience — A resource on 250+ years of Jewish contributions to Canada.
- Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program — Free classroom sets of survivor memoirs and education materials are available.
- Local Jewish federations and historical societies can help connect you with community speakers or archives. Reach out to us if you need help connecting with one near you!
An Inclusive Future for All Students
Making space for Jewish peoplehood in the classroom isn’t about teaching extra content — it’s about giving students the full picture. It allows Jewish students to see themselves reflected in the material and it empowers non-Jewish students to move beyond stereotypes and misinformation. Together we can build a more informed space for understanding, awareness and empathy in the classroom.