Western Illinois University’s Quad Cities campus recently welcomed educators from across the region for a special Holocaust Education Institute. The Institute was the centerpiece of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Jeff Leibovitz Special Collection of Holocaust Materials housed in the WIU-QC Library. Nearly 30 attendees, including current teachers and teacher candidates, participated in the event, gaining valuable resources and curriculum guidance to support Holocaust education in middle and high school classrooms.
The conference was made possible through the support of the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities and the Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc., who contributed $2,000 and $5,000 respectively. These contributions facilitated the event's organization and provided extensive educational materials for attendees, ensuring that participants were left equipped to teach students about the Holocaust in impactful and age-appropriate ways.
Multiple speakers attended the event with insights and specialized knowledge. Marrietta Castle, WIU professor emeritus and chair of the Leibovitz Collection, opened the conference by sharing its history and the importance of its resources in Holocaust education. Esther Hurh, Senior Trainer and Sara Kollbaum, Facilitator, from Echoes & Reflections, a global leader in providing Holocaust education, led the interactive training event entitled “Teaching the Holocaust Using Literature, Photos, and Art” to help teachers discuss the complexities of the Holocaust with their students more effectively.
The keynote address was delivered by Janet Hesler, the Anne Frank Exhibit curator at the Danville Station Museum in Danville, Iowa Museum. Ms. Hesler discussed the unique connection between Danville and Anne Frank, the Dutch teenager whose posthumous autobiography about her experiences in hiding during World War II helped open the postwar world’s eyes to the Holocaust’s horrors. She also discussed the authentic German World War II-era railcar which the museum recently acquired and put on permanent display.
“We were so honored to host this important institute on the Riverfront Campus,” said Jeff Hancks, chairperson of the Department of Counselor Education, College Student Personnel, and Social Work and member of the Leibovitz Collection Committee. “With the disturbing recent spike in antisemitism in the United States and around the world, it’s even more important to provide teachers and teacher education students in our region with knowledge and materials to teach about the Holocaust. We were also excited to display the expertly curated books and audiovisual items in the Jeff Leibovitz Special Collection of Holocaust Materials and encourage teachers to check out those materials to use in their classrooms.”
The conference showcased WIU’s commitment to promoting historical understanding and empowering educators with high-quality resources and content. WIU thanks the Jewish Federation, the Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc., and all-conference speakers for their vital roles in this initiative.
"Educators were appreciative of this beneficial in-person conference and are eager to share what they learned with colleagues," Castle said. "They were particularly surprised to discover the wealth of free teaching materials available online, including some truly powerful lessons. The Leibovitz Holocaust Collection Committee worked hard to ensure the conference's success and is grateful for the support of Echoes and Reflections, a well-known resource for meaningful workshops. Special thanks to E&R senior trainer Esther Hurh and facilitator Sara Kollbaum, who did an outstanding job."
For more information about the Jeff Leibovitz Special Collection of Holocaust Materials, contact Hancks at 309-762-9481 or visit wiu.edu/holocaust.
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