EJC Director of European Affairs Ariella Woitchik addressed a roundtable discussion on the role of education in tackling antisemitism in Europe at the Permanent Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the European Union in Brussels on Monday, 30 September 2024.
The event was organised by UNESCO and the Ministries of Education of the German Länder of Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein, in partnership with the Kultusministerkonferenz and the OSCE/ODIHR.
In her intervention, Ms Woitchik emphasised the critical role of education in combating antisemitism, preserving Holocaust memory, and fostering Jewish life. She also highlighted the challenges posed by the aftermath of the October 7th massacre and the growing wave of antisemitism across Europe, particularly within the educational environment, affecting both teachers and students.
“The EJC has built a strong partnership with UNESCO over the years. We are especially grateful for the dedication of Karel Fracapane and his team in fighting antisemitism through education, as well as for the support of Katharina von Schnrubein’s office at the European Commission focused on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to address the challenges that lie ahead,” said EJC Director of European Affairs.
“It is unacceptable that Jewish parents live in fear of sending their children to school or must advise them to hide their identity in public, as Jewish students face relentless harassment and bullying, both online and offline. If the situation continues like this, public schools in mostly Western Europe will become Judenrein” highlighted Ms Woitchik.
She insisted that “education is the most powerful tool to combat antisemitism and promote democratic values. We must ensure that teachers have the skills and knowledge needed to address discriminatory and authoritarian ideas in the classroom, supporting them to shape the generations of today and tomorrow and create more inclusive and tolerant societies. At the same time, we must acknowledge that some of them are frightened to talk about the Shoah in classrooms”.
Among the distinguished speakers at the roundtable were Sandra Boser, State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of Baden-Württemberg; Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism; and Heather Mann, Associate Project Officer in the Education Sector of UNESCO.
The discussion was attended by education professionals and government officials, as well as UNESCO and European Commission officials, diplomats, and representatives of Jewish umbrella organisations. The event also included a musical interlude in which Mélina Burlaud and Claire Beaudouin interpreted works composed by Jewish authors during or before the Holocaust.
The roundtable was held on the eve of an international conference on addressing antisemitism, intolerance, and discrimination: effective pedagogies for teacher training in Germany. This conference is part of a UNESCO project funded by the European Commission and the OSCE, which spans 12 European countries and aims to address antisemitism through educational activities tailored to local needs.
