Module II
„Pilot project: The Holocaust in the educational system of Bosnia and Herzegovina“
Part: “Teaching about the Holocaust in two high schools”
I: Workshop with Dr. Falk Pingel (Erinnern.at) and history professors from high schools MSŠ “Musa Ćazim Ćatić” from Kladanj and SŠC “Milorad Vlačić” from Vlasenica
Two high schools in Kladanj and in Vlasenica have participated in the module II of this project with respect to the teaching about the Holocaust in the high schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The schools representatives together with the Holocaust expert Dr. Falk Pingel and others have had a working meeting in Kladanj, as a first step. The meeting was held in the library of the High school center “Musa Ćazim Ćatić“ in Kladanj on December 12, 2015.
At the meeting were present: representatives from the High school center „Milorad Vlačić“ from Vlasenica: prof. Rade Majstorović (director) and prof. Dragan Ilić (geography and history professor), and representing the high school from Kladanj: prof. Muriz Halilović (director) and prof. Dževad Halilović (history professor); the project coordinators and scientific researchers DI Mag. Anisa Hasanhodžić and prof. Rifet Rustemović, and a main figure at the meeting Dr. Falk Pingel, expert for Holocaust teaching and school textbooks who was representing the partner organization Erinnern.at from Austria. Apart from the mentioned participants, upon the initiative of the president of the Municipality of Kladanj, his advisors Mr. Denis Čamdžić and Mr. Fahrudin Muhić were also present at the meeting.
For more information about the meeting please see the following document:
Working papers (12-12-2014) from the meeting in Kladanj
II: Classes about the Holocaust and local Jewish history – working with the students of high schools MSŠ “Musa Ćazim Ćatić” Kladanj and SŠC “Milorad Vlačić” Vlasenica
Classes in Kladanj, March 30, 2015:
The pilot-project within the module II,“Teaching about the Holocaust in two high schools”, was implemented according to the protocol discussed and arranged at the meeting in Kladanj:
- evaluation of the students‘ knowledge,
- project presentation to the students by school director Mr. Halilović,
- teaching about the Holocaust, about the Nazi and Ustaša regime by prof. Dževad Halilović, and
- teaching about the Jewish life and history in the local community and their suffering in the Holocaust by the history professor and scientific researchers prof. Rifet Rustemović.
-
mr. sc. Alisa Salihović, school’s pedagogue, also took part giving support to the methodologically proper realization of the teaching unit.
After the first evaluation (in January 2015) was carried out, a group of 22 students was chosen to participate in the classes. After the classes students took part in the second knowledge evaluation showing the respectful advancement, especially concerning the local Jewish history knowledge which before the classes was completely unknown to them. As to easier learn the teaching materia it was organized that two students (Dalila Avdibegović and Nejra Rustemović) prepare the primary sources on the subject regarding the Jewish life in Kladanj in the first half of the XX century – so they red during the classes in front of the others the memoirs written by Luna Levi-Albahari (Kladanj, 1899) „I was born in Kladanj“.
Classes in Vlasenica, March 31, 2015:
The pilot-project within the module II, “Teaching about the Holocaust in two high schools”, was implemented according to the protocol discussed and arranged at the meeting in Kladanj:
- evaluation of the students‘ knowledge,
- project presentation to the students by school director Mr. Rade Majstorović,
- teaching about the Holocaust, about the Nazi and Ustaša regime by prof. Dragan Ilić, and
- teaching about the Jewish life and history in the local community and their suffering in the Holocaust by the history professor and scientific researcher prof. Rifet Rustemović.
After the first evaluation (in January 2015) was carried out, a group of 20 students was chosen to participate in the classes. After the classes students took part in the second knowledge evaluation showing the respectful advancement, especially concerning the local – Vlasenica Jewish history knowledge which before the classes was completely unknown to them, such as culture, language, Jewish settlement in Vlasenica, Jewish cemetery, and Flory Jagoda (92) one of the world famous Sephardi musicians living in the USA but who prior to the Holocaust spent her childhood with her grandmother (nona in Ladino) and other family members in Vlasenica. As to make closer the life and the work of Flory Jagoda and famous Vlasenica Jewish family Altarac (in which the Flory’s mother was born), two students: Mira Mišić and Ana Tomić were reciting her songs in Ladino and English, reviving so the Sephardic romances which prior to the Holocaust were an important part of all society gatherings in Vlasenica irrespective of confession.