Holocaust

Studying the history of the Holocaust tragedy in the Academy of the State Penitentiary Service: Relevance, Opportunities and Challenges

On 2 May 2024, the Penitentiary Academy of Ukraine in Chernihiv hosted a roundtable discussion "Studying the History of the Holocaust Tragedy in the Academy: Relevance, Opportunities, and Challenges", which was joined by scholars and students of the Academy, Director of the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, PhD Anatolii Podolskyi; Head of the Jewish Community of Chernihiv Oleksandr Chevan; and representative of the Jewish Museum in Krakow Viktoria Mudrytska.

The Penitentiary Academy of Ukraine is a modern European-style higher education institution that actively engages young people in spreading knowledge about the tragedies of past generations and raising a conscious and tolerant generation that understands the unacceptability of cruelty and discrimination in the modern world.

It is important to note that the Academy is actively involved in international projects that provide an opportunity to tell the world the stories of previous generations of Ukrainian Jews. The results of the project Know. Care. Remember Project, which was carried out at the Academy in 2021-2023 with the support of the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies and TOLI - The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (New York, USA), was presented by Alla Popruzhna at the event.

During the roundtable, research and teaching staff shared their experience of using Centropa materials in the educational process and students, in their turn, presented the collected video materials of Holocaust testimonies and family stories related to the tragedy. The guests of the roundtable joined in the discussion and exchange of experience.

"Ukrainians now are in the process of learning about themselves: rethinking their culture, studying history and getting to know themselves. And you're doing a great job", – Edward Serotta.

Programme

Photo gallery