Saxony expands cooperation with Yad Vashem

Saxony is expanding its cooperation with the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Israel. Minister of Culture Christian Piwarz (CDU) and the chairman of the memorial, Dani Dajan, have renewed and updated a cooperation agreement from 2008, as announced by the Ministry of Culture on Thursday. The aim of the cooperation is to further promote education about and awareness of the Holocaust in an age-appropriate manner.

"Germany has a historically justified responsibility for Jewish life. A culture of remembrance is an important building block for learning lessons from the past to shape our future," said Piwarz according to the press release. There should be no place for anti-Semitism in schools.

The agreement reportedly includes regular training courses for Saxon teachers in Israel. They are intended to support teachers in dealing appropriately and effectively with anti-Semitic incidents in schools. The seminar program also includes methodological and didactic approaches for preparing pupils for visits to Nazi memorial sites as well as age-appropriate information on the history of pre-war Jewish life in Europe and the Holocaust. Digital formats for remembrance education with Yad Vashem and other memorial sites are also part of the program.