Stevens studies Holocaust during Jerusalem journey

The ending of World War II in 1945 left behind many Holocaust survivors with historic life experiences and memories that have been preserved through the work of foundations, schools, and museums.

The Echos and Reflections Holocaust Study Tour brings professors from across the United States to educate and provide them with a curriculum they can use in their classrooms. The hope is these educators use the curriculum to teach perspective teachers how to incorporate Holocaust studies into their own curriculum.

Dr. Robert Stevens said hearing stories from Holocaust survivors made a profound impact. File Photo.

Last semester Dr. Robert Stevens, professor of education, joined the study tour for ten days in Jerusalem. The itinerary included many speakers such as Holocaust survivors, educators and museum directors.

“It was mesmerizing to hear their stories. They did not use any type of media, such as PowerPoint. They simply talked about their subject. It was shear intellectual skill,” Stevens said.

He brought back a course-study book weighing five pounds. The book looks at segments of the Holocaust, including life before the Nazis, and contains photos of Jewish families and their villages.

“It puts a human face with the Holocaust,” Stevens said.

Hanna Pick, a Holocaust survivor and childhood friend of Anne Frank, spoke at the seminar. Stevens said Pick talked about meeting Frank and her family, specifically the confusion surrounding Frank going into hiding and her time in the concentration camp.

“She saw Anne just a few days before her death. She did not speak to her; it was only in passing,” Stevens said.

He said Pick is a very unusual Holocaust survivor because she told her story not long after her release from a concentration camp. He said most survivors do not tell their stories until much later in life.

“The woman is incredible. Her story is so compelling. When she finished speaking, there was no sound just silence,” Stevens said.

The Echos and Reflections Holocaust Curriculum is sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League, USC Shoah Foundation Institute, Los Angeles and Yad Vashem International Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

Steven Spielberg founded USC Shoah Foundation in 1987, after the release of “Schindler’s List.” Spielberg received an outpouring of letters from Holocaust survivors wanting to tell their story.

So far the foundation has archived 50,000 testimonials, Stevens said. He said he plans to incorporate what he learned into his Bloom’s Taxonomy course, including primary information, case topics, news articles and photos.