Holocaust Education Programs

Bridging Past, Present, and Responsibility

You are about to enter our portal to the past that also connects to the future. Holocaust education is vital in honoring the memory of those who perished and the resilience of survivors, and the fortitude of rescuers. Through the lens of the past, we deepen our historical understanding and foster empathy, critical thinking, and social responsibility. Utilizing Visual History Testimony to tell the human story of the Holocaust we demonstrate the power of memory and offer gateways for understanding to encourage action, remember the past, and use these lessons to improve today’s world.

Our Holocaust Education Program

We proudly use the highly acclaimed Echoes & Reflections Holocaust education program for our curriculum. Founded in 2005, Echoes & Reflections is a partnership between ADL, USC Shoah Foundation, and Yad Vashem. Utilizing expertise and resources from these three leading organizations, Echoes & Reflections provides educators with the resources and professional development to develop the knowledge and capacity to teach the Holocaust responsibly and effectively. Therefore, CDJHM’s program offers unmatched resources for accurately teaching the Holocaust so students can grow as responsible citizens and develop critical thinking, empathy, and civic participation skills for the future.

Whether you are an educator, a student, or a member of the general public, our interactive education program provides you with learning opportunities that can be experienced utilizing our Traveling Memorials in schools, libraries, and in common spaces upon request. The program will also be accessed at the permanent Memorial located at the State Capital in Albany once it is built.

New York State Holocaust Education Requirements

Holocaust Education has been required in New York State since 1994. In 2022, New York State enacted laws strengthening Holocaust education in public schools and museums:

Schools must fulfill existing Holocaust instruction mandates.
Museums must disclose stolen artworks from the Nazi era.
The NYSED now evaluates compliance and supports improvement plans.

We offer tools and support to help schools meet these critical mandates.

Plan Your Learning Experience

Traveling Memorials

Teaching about the Holocaust and genocide is a daunting task now made so much easier by booking one of our Traveling Memorials to come to your school, organization, religious institution, or community. Each Traveling Memorial has experiential interactive activities that highlight survivors from New York State. Our unique History Quests takes each 5th grade, middle school, or high school student on a quest to find objects, answer questions, look at pictures, or listen to visual history testimonies as they learn. A link to our History Quests will be provided to teachers in advance after they book a tour so they can prepare accordingly.

Learn More

Visit the Permanent NYS Holocaust Memorial

Once the permanent NYS Holocaust Memorial has been built students, educators, and the general public will be able to use their cellphones to access the Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial’s education program, central to which is the Echoes and Reflections Holocaust Education program. Contact us to be notified of opening day

Choose from Three Tailored Guides for Learning

Permanent NYS Holocaust Memorial Guide

Students and the general public will be able to access a specialized guide for self- or instructor-lead study when visiting the permanent Memorial located at the Capital in Albany, NY. History Quests for students from 5th grade through High School will also be accessible through QR codes at the permanent Memorial.

Educator Guide

Educators can access this prior to their visit to plan optimal experiences for their students. Includes all curriculum content plus lesson plans and extra resources able to be accessed at Traveling Memorial Sites and Future Memorial Site

Traveling Memorial Guide

This guide is designed for the general user who visits a Traveling Memorial. Each guide uses immersive storytelling to explore the Holocaust, with survivor testimony, videos, art, poetry, and interactive learning.