Catholic Educators Study Lessons of the Holocaust in Rochester, NY

Date: August 31, 2009

Thirty-seven Catholic educators from New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts gathered for ADL's 2009 Bettina (z”l) and Erwin Pearl New York Regional Bearing Witness™ Summer Institute. The three-day intensive program provides training and resources on the history of anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and modern-day prejudice.

Bearing Witness has been cited by the Holy See as one of the most important programs for improving Catholic—Jewish relations. The program was co-sponsored by the Diocese of Rochester, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Catholic Educational Association, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Highlights of this year's program included a model Shabbat dinner at Temple Sinai; an evening at the Finger Lakes with ADL staff and participants; and sessions on ADL’s Echoes and Reflections Holocaust curriculum, its methodology and effective teaching tools.

For many of the educators, the three day seminar was both a revelation and time for reflection. Said one, “the path to peace begins with understanding and appreciating the beliefs of others… It's good to remember that the church moves slowly, and we're moving in the right direction," she added. "It takes time to change people's minds, but I'm excited to be part of the change."