Museum Program Offerings

Propaganda has been around for centuries, and the internet is only the latest means of communication to be abused to spread lies and misinformation. Almost every day we hear news stories about the dangers of social media — its impact on young people’s mental health, the dissemination of conspiracy theories, and even as a recruiting place for extremist groups. Put plainly, social media today can pose risks of violence (against self or others), discrimination, and fear-mongering. Online is a place that has the potential to share much good, but it has also been co-opted by forces that seek to divide and anger us. Misinformation is spread as fact, conspiracy theories proliferate, stereotypes and hateful imagery are celebrated as humorous. It is also easy to fall into social media communities that become echo chambers for polarization, leading to extremism.

The Nazis were masters of weaponizing propaganda to influence millions of Germans and other Europeans. Using examples of Nazi propaganda, students in this workshop will learn to distinguish content designed to inform compared to content designed to manipulate. Students will learn to distinguish fact from fiction and how to use online research and critical thinking to examine social media content.

60 Minute Workshop/60 Minute Museum Experience

Social justice is both a concept and a movement urging humanity towards the creation of a society that offers fair treatment, equitable division of resources, and guarantees of safety for all people, regardless of their race, class, gender, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, or any other factor of their identity.

In Nazi Germany, those persecuted by the Nazis were faced with dire, deadly injustice. The promise of “Never Again” serves as a permanent reminder of what happened and of the global community’s duty to ensure justice for all. But what does it mean to work toward social justice for all in our current time? What can we learn from the history of the Holocaust?

In this workshop, students will learn about the importance of conscience and explore examples of individuals, groups, and movements past and present that have worked toward a more just society.

60 Minute Workshop/60 Minute Museum Experience

As Holocaust survivor and author Victor Frankl once wrote, “man’s inner strength may raise him above his outward fate.” In this workshop, we will study the resilience of the Jewish people in overcoming extraordinary obstacles during the Holocaust. During this same period, we will also look at Jewish acts of resistance, both big and small, violent and nonviolent, which highlight enormous bravery and heroism.

Within this context, we will look at current struggles in the U.S. with racism, inequality, antisemitism, and other forms of hatred and discrimination. Movements in the U.S. that exemplify modern resistance against oppression include the Civil Rights movement, the Farmworker Rights movement, and the ongoing fight for racial justice and against hate. Individuals who have experienced injustice and have taken a stand within these movements have shown great moral courage in their determination to fight for justice and equality. We will look at these modern-day struggles through the lens of the Holocaust victims and survivors who showed tremendous strength and courage.

In this workshop, students will learn about how everyday people coped with experiences of injustice and found ways to defy it.

60 Minute Workshop/60 Minute Museum Experience

Developed by our in-house Holocaust education specialists, this workshop is designed to provide student leaders with an understanding of the concept of moral courage as learned through the lessons of the Holocaust and how those lessons can be applied to their own lives. In addition, we will learn about the impact of words, actions, and propaganda in history and today. This workshop provides an opportunity for students to achieve the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness.

Two Hour Minimum

A unique opportunity to learn of the heroic journeys of those that survived the Holocaust, told either by the survivors themselves or by the next generations of their children and grandchildren.

A joint initiative between the Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education and the Haverstraw African American Connection. Better Together bolsters public engagement to fight racism, antisemitism, and all kinds of hate through community building, conflict resolution, and critical dialogue.

Program Duration and Costs: TBD

Kindness is Contagious is an age-appropriate lesson that impacts students in grades K-5 and encourages them to promote acceptance and embrace diversity. Activities of social and emotional learning reflect themes of kindness, tolerance, empathy, and respect through the actions of paying it forward. This workshop challenges students to question how they can become a better person and make a difference in the world by bringing each classroom together in a fun, interactive learning experience.

Program Duration and Costs: TBD

The Better Together Professional Development Workshop (a joint initiative between the Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education and the Haverstraw African American Connection) is both a proactive and reactive program designed to help reduce antisemitism, racism and hate in all forms. We teach through story-telling of historical events and personal experiences to help address hate and intolerance in classrooms, as well as in our communities. By sharing painful legacies, we are reminded of the dangers of hate and the destruction it can wreak upon our world. Together, we seek to educate in an effort to strengthen the bonds of humanity. This experiential learning workshop models strategies and methodology that can be utilized in the classroom and beyond to strengthen our shared values of peace, acceptance, empathy, and love.

Half or Full Day Workshop

Looking for a unique way to add a meaningful component to your next special event? Consider renting an exhibit from the Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education.

Our traveling and special exhibits are the perfect way to bring history to life for our community. Fascinating displays and engaging educational materials allow your group to learn from the past so we can build a more just, safe world for all people.

All exhibits have been specifically designed for easy installation in schools, museums, libraries, community centers, and other traditional and nontraditional environments.

Exhibits currently available for rental:

Resilience During the Holocaust: Children, Families & Communities

Keepers of the Past - Artifacts of the Holocaust

Sacred Scrolls of the Holocaust - Sacred Texts Saved from the Inferno