FOREWORD

   Why study the Holocaust?

   History is so replete with cataclysms deserving attention and scrutiny. Why, then, should we devote so much energy to understanding this one historical event?

   First, there is an obvious moral imperative.  No other genocide has been conducted in such a calculating and systematic fashion.  The modern state and technology combined to produce an event of unparalleled horror.  The recent resurgence of persecution based on race, religion, and sexual preference raises the moral question anew.  This fact alone justifies special attention to the causes of the Holocaust.

   Beyond the moral considerations, there is ample evidence that students are alarmingly uninformed about the events of World War II.  The consequences of this appalling ignorance may be found in the dictum that those who fail to know history are condemned to repeat it.

   So we also study the Holocaust because it is critical to understanding the contemporary world as well as the past.  The Holocaust offers timely and universal lessons that need not be relegated to one unit of a social studies cirriculum.  A study of the Holocaust can yield lessons and insights that illuminate a wide range of contemporary and historical issues.

   Finally, the Holocaust instructs us about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and community. In a world convulsed by violence and war, students must learn how to confront, understand, and resolve ethical dilemmas in their community as well as the world.

   The Deathly Silence Guide addresses these challenges by providing instructional resources for teaching the history of the Holocaust and ethnic conflict.  The guide is designed to be used in conjunction with the Southern Institute's "Deathly Silence" workshop.  The workshop and manual prepare teachers to develop lessons that address: 1) the meaning of the term "Holocaust," 2) the role of everyday people--the "innocent bystanders"--in systematic murder, and 3) why the Holocaust is important in understanding today's world.

   We hope that the following information and ideas contribute in some small way to creating a more tolerant and free society.  We salute you as an educator committed to nurturing these principles in the next generation of citizens.

   We would like to acknowledge Ottie Pittman's role in preparing this guide.  The Glossary and Lesson Plans were prepared by Ms. Pittman and we appreciate her contribution.

Lance Hill, Executive Director
Southern Institute for Education and Research

Continue or
Return to Index