WEST ORANGE, New Jersey โ The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous selected 23 middle and high school educators and Holocaust center staff from eight states to participate in its 2026 Advanced Seminar, an intensive two-day academic program focused on strengthening Holocaust education and addressing both historical and contemporary antisemitism.
The seminar took place January 17 and 18 in New Jersey and brought together experienced educators who already possess a strong foundation in Holocaust history. This yearโs program placed particular emphasis on the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in Holocaust education and research.
According to the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, the Advanced Seminar is a graduate-level initiative designed to deepen educatorsโ subject-matter expertise and pedagogical skills. Participants examined specialized topics related to the Holocaust and antisemitism through lectures and discussions led by internationally recognized scholars.
โThis program is designed for educators who are already deeply committed to Holocaust education and want to engage with its most complex questions,โ the Foundation said in program materials.
The 2026 seminar focused on the future of teaching the Holocaust. Sessions explored how artificial intelligence may influence historical research, survivor testimony, classroom instruction, and the spread or mitigation of antisemitism. Organizers said the goal was to ensure educators are equipped to navigate new technologies responsibly while maintaining academic rigor and historical accuracy.
This yearโs speakers included Prof. Andy Pearce of University College London, Prof. Avinoam Patt of New York University, Prof. Noah Shenker of Colgate University, and Holocaust historian and exhibition curator Paul Salmons. Each addressed different dimensions of Holocaust scholarship, memory, and education, with particular attention to contemporary challenges facing teachers.
Participants traveled from Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. They represented public and private schools, Holocaust education centers, and university-affiliated programs.
Among those selected were Amy McDonald of the Alabama Holocaust Education Center in Birmingham, Mindy Walker of Northside High School in Northport, Alabama, and Kendra Tallent of Glen Rose High School in Benton, Arkansas. Florida participants included educators from Boca Raton, Wellington, Jupiter, Lake Worth, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, and West Palm Beach, as well as staff from the Florida Holocaust Museum.
Educators from Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas also took part, including representatives from Kean Universityโs Holocaust Education and Resource Center and the Holocaust Museum Houston.
The Advanced Seminar is open to JFR Alfred Lerner Fellows and to educators who have previously attended the JFR Summer Institute for Teachers. Both programs are designed for middle and high school educators and Holocaust center professionals who have taught for at least five years and are at least five years from retirement.
Stanlee Stahl, executive vice president of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, said the participants were selected based on their demonstrated commitment to Holocaust education and confronting antisemitism.
โEach of these educators has already distinguished themselves through a strong commitment to teaching the Holocaust and to deepening their own understanding of the antisemitism that shaped it,โ Stahl said. โThrough this intensive, graduate-level program, participants developed a more nuanced understanding of Holocaust history, testimony, pedagogy, and contemporary tools and challenges for teaching about the Holocaust.โ
He added that the seminar also prepares participants to serve as mentors for other educators in their communities.
Beyond its educational initiatives, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous continues to provide monthly financial assistance to aged and needy Righteous Gentiles living in 10 countries. Since its founding, the organization has distributed more than 46 million dollars in aid to rescuers who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
The Foundationโs Holocaust teacher education programs are widely regarded as a standard in the field, emphasizing both historical accuracy and the moral lessons embodied by the Righteous Gentiles. More information about the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous and its programs is available at jfr.org.
