Germany and the Jews: An Antisemitism Advanced Seminar

Seminar start: June 30 Return: July 8

The seminar is scheduled from June 30 through July 8, 2026. Participants will depart from the U.S. on June 29 and return on July 9.

Generous Scholarships for SWPA Educators: Pay only $1000 + airfare—a savings of $3000 off the full seminar cost!

This seminar is an intensive professional development opportunity for seasoned educators who already have a significant understanding of the Holocaust. Educators receive extra-travel learning on Germany’s dynamic relationship with German, European, and global Jewry, including contemporary antisemitism and Holocaust inversion. Avi Ben-Hur will lead the group through German sites relevant to Jewish history, including Dachau, memorial sites, archives, and museums. Applicants should already have significant experience learning and teaching about the Holocaust.

Overview

The Germany & The Jews seminar offers a comprehensive exploration of the complex and intertwined histories of Jewish communities in Germany, providing secondary educators with a nuanced understanding of the rich cultural heritage, persistent antisemitism, and contemporary challenges facing these communities. It emphasizes the richness of Jewish life in Germany, from its medieval roots to its modern contributions, while addressing the oppression that shaped both the medieval and modern eras. Educators will examine the social and political antecedents to the Holocaust under Nazism, including the devastating impact of discriminatory laws and propaganda, as well as Kristallnacht, Dachau, and deportations that led to genocide. The program also focuses on contemporary issues, such as the amplification of Holocaust inversion since October 7. Participants will gain insights into Germany’s commitment to combating antisemitism through its laws governing antisemitic speech and actions. The seminar highlights Germany’s unique relationship with Israel, rooted in historical responsibility for the Holocaust. Educators will explore Germany’s support for Israel’s security and its role in fostering bilateral relations. As appropriate, the historical and contemporary aspects of this seminar will be compared and contrasted to the United States.

Itinerary

Munich:

Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church)
Marienplatz (Mary’s Square) with the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) and its famous Glockenspiel
Viktualienmarkt (farmers market)
Ohel Jakob Synagogue
Weiße Rose (the White Rose Memorial)
Dachau concentration camp
NS-Documentation Center.

Nuremberg:

Human Rights Avenue
Reichsparteitagsgelände (Nazi Party Rally Grounds)
Nuremberg Trials Memorial – Courthouse

Berlin:

Nikolaikirche Platz
Ephraim Palais
Alexanderplatz
Museum Insel
Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate)
East Side Gallery
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Memorial)
Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church)
imprint of Moses Mendelssohn’s house
the old Jewish cemetery
Jewish high school; the Missing House
Rosenstraße with the Block of Women Memorial
traces of Berlin’s oldest synagogue
Museum of Otto Weidt’s Workshop for the Blind
the house of the world’s first female rabbi
Neue Synagoge
the Jewish Museum
Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe
Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Murdered Under National Socialism
Memorial to the Persecuted Homosexuals
Memorial to the Handicapped
House of the Wannsee Conference
Memorial at Track 17
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Weissensee Jewish Cemetery
“Places of Remembrance” in the Bavarian Quarter
Topography of Terror Museum
the Reichstag

Resources

Posted in: Germany
Subject Area: Antisemitism, Jewish History, Pre-WWII Jewish History, The Holocaust

Germany and the Jews: An Antisemitism Advanced Seminar