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----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "Gashi Mithat (11X513)" <MGashi@schools.nyc.gov> To: "An H-Net List for Teaching Social Studies in Secondary Schools" <H-HIGH-S@H-NET.MSU.EDU> Cc: mgashi@yahoo.com Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 9:01:30 AM Subject: BESA: Muslims who saved Jews in WWII (Teacher's Guide) I would be curious to know if any of you would be interested in incorporating this little known story in your curriculum. Please visit: www.eyecontactfoundation.org <http://www.eyecontactfoundation.org/> For a link to the teacher's guide click: http://www.vhec.org/images/pdfs/Muslim%20Rescuers%20Teachers%20Guide.pdf Acts of rescue were rare occurrences during the Holocaust. It is estimated that less than one-half of one percent of those under Nazi occupation helped Jews. In the Balkan country of Albania, with a pre-war Jewish population of only 200, acts of rescue contributed to the survival of 1,800 to 2,000 Jews, most of whom were refugees from other countries. The Albanian experience during the Holocaust reveals not only the determination of the Nazis to systematically annihilate European Jews, but also the possibilities that existed for resistance. The stories of Albanian rescuers are relatively unknown due to the political isolation of the country under communism. Albanian rescuers were not acknowledged until 1987, when Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial museum, recognized them as "Righteous Among the Nations," a designation given to non-Jews who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Historians and Albanian archivists are currently working to research and document the Albanian experience during the Holocaust. Albanian Muslim Rescuers During the Holocaust presents portraits and testimonies of Albanian Muslim rescuers and their descendants by American photographer Norman H. Gershman. Between 2003 and 2008, Gershman travelled through Albania and neighbouring Kosovo, gathering the stories of those who sheltered Jews. During interviews, when asked why they had rescued Jews, their resounding response was "Besa," which means "to keep the promise" and implies a responsibility to others in times of need. The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre's school program and teacher's guide link the history of Albania during the Holocaust and the photographs of Muslim rescuers featured in the exhibit to the themes of social justice and human rights. This guide's pre-visit student readings and activity will prepare students for the VHEC-based school program, in which students will explore the topic of rescue during the Holocaust through an analysis of Gershman's portraits. A number of post-visit activities extend gallery learning back into the classroom, and expand on the theme of rescue - of human lives and of aspects of culture - during the Holocaust and other genocides. The activities are accompanied by a timeline, glossary and list of recommended resources. Teachers are encouraged to adapt material to suit their needs, and to allow for a variety of responses and judgements among students confronting the complex ethical dilemmas associated with the topic of rescue.
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