New Holocaust curriculum in schools

Holocaust Learning Experience (HLE) is now being taught at Roosevelt Middle School.

HLE is a nonprofit program developed by MorseLife Health System in West Palm Beach and will implement HLE’s age-appropriate Holocaust education model for students in grades 5 to 12. The stated mission is to educate and transform generations to end antisemitism and combat hate, bigotry, and prejudice. This curriculum also fills a critical gap acting as a resource for teachers who have never been trained in Holocaust studies.

Leigh Routman, executive director, provided teacher’s training at Roosevelt Middle School on Oct. 14. There were two 90-minute sessions—one for grades 4 to 7, and one for grades 8 to 12.

“It went really well,” she said. “We had over 60 teachers participate in the training and get acclimated to our program.”

With training, teachers learn how to use the program which is based on a learning management system.

“It’s being used across curriculum,” said Routman. “History, art, social studies…It’s a wonderful resource for teachers.”

HLE’s Learning Management System (LMS) develops, deploys, and delivers turnkey lessons about the Holocaust that focus on enhancing civic duty, civility, and compassion. Using the historical context of the Holocaust, these lessons address issues such as bullying, cyberbullying, hate speech, and physical violence, promoting tolerance, kindness, and the importance of confronting bigotry, according to MorseLife.

Pre-recorded lessons and Holocaust survivor testimonials bring history to life, helping students connect personally through inspirational stories of courage, resilience, and compassion. The platform offers grade-appropriate lessons, enhancing existing Holocaust curricula in urban, suburban, and rural districts.

The program includes documentary-style films and professionally produced interviews with survivors, accompanied by a Teacher’s Resource Guide for each grade.
Routman has been with HLE since it began in 2022.

“I oversee all aspects of the program, getting it implemented throughout Florida and nationally,” she said. “We have 46 lessons in our catalogue. We give teachers everything they need. It’s a fabulous resource for teachers. We’re not teaching teachers how to teach, but to give them resources and tools. Teachers using the program are calling it ‘a gift.’ We’ve taken the hard job of vetting the material. We’re giving them everything that they need. And they feel confident in this program. We would love to continue to grow throughout the state of New Jersey.”

Holocaust Learning Experience is located on MorseLife’s Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Seniors Campus in West Palm Beach, Fla. To learn more, visit: holocaustlearningexperience.com.

  education, Holocaust, West Orange