The Azrieli Foundation launches Education Disrupted

Aimed at students and educators, and available in both English and French, Education Disrupted illuminates the school life of Jewish students during the Holocaust, the significant impacts of being denied an education, and the ways Jews resisted persecution and pursued education during the Holocaust. The exhibit also highlights the value of education and the role it played for survivors in rebuilding their lives after the war.

Unlimited free access to the online exhibit and its accompanying educational resources for learners, teachers and students is available here in English, and here in French.

“It’s no coincidence that Education Disrupted was launched in line with this year’s UN International Day of Education and UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day,” says Jody Spiegel, Director of the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program. “This free and experiential exhibit is all about the importance of education, the power of education, and the right to an education. Learning through survivor stories is an incredibly effective way to promote understanding and awareness, and we invite people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with this beautiful and insightful platform and share it with friends and family.”

Education Disrupted is structured around the first-person narratives of Holocaust survivors. The survivors’ words, along with the photographs and video testimony, have been carefully curated from published memoirs in the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program series and its extensive media collection. The exhibit is organised into four sections, or “books,” each focusing on a different theme: pre-war school life; students’ experiences under Nazi rule; the struggles of learning in ghettos, camps and in hiding; and post-war life in Europe and Canada.

The exhibit, suitable for those aged 11 and older, is accompanied by supplementary educational materials in English and French, developed by the Program’s education team to support educators in guiding students through the exhibit and the subject matter.

“Education Disrupted offers a relatable and accessible entry point to learning about the Holocaust and provides vital insights into the importance of access to education,” says Michelle Sadowski, Educator at the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program. “We know that younger students in particular have much to gain from accessing first-person stories, to explore stories of resilience, and to combat misinformation while fostering a deeper understanding of the Holocaust and its survivors.”

Media interview opportunities:
There will be opportunities for individual interviews and site tours with Michelle Sadowski, Educator at the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program.

Media inquiries
Katie Saunoris | KSPR
katiesaunoris@gmail.com | 647-221-0112
Education Disrupted Media Gallery

For general inquiries related to the Azrieli Foundation:
Rhea Singer, Communications Specialist, rhea@azrielifoundation.org

About the Azrieli Foundation | azrielifoundation.org
With a firm belief that everyone has a contribution to make, the Azrieli Foundation has been opening doors, breaking ground, and nurturing networks for more than 30 years. The Foundation – the largest non-corporate foundation in Canada – funds institutions and operates programs in Canada and Israel.

About Education Disrupted

Education Disrupted is a free, digital exhibit from the Azrieli Foundation that explores the role of education in the lives of those who experienced the Holocaust as children and youth. It looks at the school life of Jewish students, the significance of being denied an education, and how Jews resisted persecution and pursued an education during the Holocaust. The exhibit also highlights the value of education and the role it played for survivors who were rebuilding their lives after the war. Unlimited free access to the online exhibit and its accompanying educational resources for learners, teachers and students is available here in English, and here in French.