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A staff member at Watkins Elementary School in the Washington, D.C. area has been placed on leave after having third graders reenact moments from the Holocaust.
According to The Washington Post, the staff member, who's name has not been disclosed, had the third grade students play out a number of horrific scenarios which took place during the Holocaust.
These included pretending to dig mass graves, mimicking shooting other students, Imagining they were riding a train to a concentration camp and pretending to die in a gas chamber.
Antisemitic comments were also part of the staffer's lesson.
Reenactments in Holocaust education are wrong. Asking a person, especially a child, to enter into a role of a victim or () a perpetrator of genocide is horrifying. It is irresponsible education of sensitive & complex subject. It's painful traumatization.https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/12/19/holocaust-reenactment-watkins-school-dc/\u00a0\u2026— Auschwitz Memorial (@Auschwitz Memorial) 1640063954
An email sent out by school principal MScott Berkowitz even revealed one student was assigned to play Adolf Hitler and had to pretend to commit suicide as Hitler did.
The student in question was Jewish.
The students tangled up in this horrific moment had been sent to the school library to work on an end of term presentation before the offending staff member corralled them into the reenactment.
Berkowitz apologized to all the parents of the students involved in this shockingly ill-advised project, and condemned the actions of the staff member responsible.
"Earlier today, we received a report of a classroom of students receiving a lesson that included portraying different perspectives of the Holocaust."
"I want to acknowledge the gravity of this poor instructional decision, as students should never be asked to act out or portray any atrocity, especially genocide, war, or murder."
The students were even reportedly told by this staff member to keep the reenactment a secret, but the students told their homeroom teacher upon returning to the classroom.
Making matters worse, this didn't even appear to be a misguided attempt at teaching children about the horrors of the Holocaust.
A parent of one of the students told The Washington Post when a student asked why Hitler and the Nazi's did this, the staff member replied, "because the Jews ruined Christmas."
The Anti Defamation League of Washington D.C. expressed their horror at the incident on Twitter.We're horrified 3rd grade students were instructed to re-enact scenes from the Holocaust. Simulation activities trivialize the experience of victims & often reinforce stereotypes. We'll be providing resources & support to help promote healing & education.https://wapo.st/3pa05Uw— ADL Washington DC (@ADL Washington DC) 1639964085
Indeed, many expressed their astonishment and disgust, with most demanding the staff member in question be fired immediately.
how are these people evaluated before being hired to teach young children?\n\nDC 3rd graders made to reenact Holocaust \u2018because Jews ruined Christmas\u2019 https://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-teacher-suspended-after-making-3rd-grade-kids-reenact-holocaust-scenes/\u00a0\u2026 via @timesofisrael— ingeborg oppenheimer (@ingeborg oppenheimer) 1640026172
The librarian made a Jewish 3rd grade student portray Hitler, including re-enacting his suicide at the end of the \u201cplay\u201d. You don\u2019t place this person on \u201cadministrative leave\u201d. You FIRE THEM. @CHCSPTA #WatkinsSchool #Holocausthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/12/19/holocaust-reenactment-watkins-school-dc/\u00a0\u2026— Baltimore Wall of Women (@Baltimore Wall of Women) 1640024168
What a horror story. There must have been signs of antisemitic behavior before this. Why the hell did she have a job with children?https://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-teacher-suspended-after-making-3rd-grade-kids-reenact-holocaust-scenes/\u00a0\u2026— Shirley (@Shirley) 1640015535
That anyone would believe this is okay is mind blowing. This is nothing but disgusting anti-semitism. Period.\n\nThis person should never be trusted to teach another child.https://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-teacher-suspended-after-making-3rd-grade-kids-reenact-holocaust-scenes/\u00a0\u2026— Rick Scott (@Rick Scott) 1640021694
This is hideous! Washington DC 3rd graders made to reenact Holocaust \u2018because Jews ruined Christmas\u2019, with children told to simulate digging mass graves and shooting victims, while Jewish student cast as Hitler.https://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-teacher-suspended-after-making-3rd-grade-kids-reenact-holocaust-scenes/\u00a0\u2026— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Arsen Ostrovsky) 1639986238
Inexplicable and shameful.https://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-teacher-suspended-after-making-3rd-grade-kids-reenact-holocaust-scenes/\u00a0\u2026— Jackson Richman (@Jackson Richman) 1640011709
A staffer at D.C. public school allegedly told 3rd-grade Ss to reenact elements of the Holocaust in library class. Beyond atrociousness of this lesson, for umpteenth time:\n\n Stop using simulations/\u201crole-play\u201d to teach historical atrocities. It\u2019s obscene and intellectually lazy.— melinda d. anderson (@melinda d. anderson) 1640011239
3rd graders in @dcpublicschools were forced to reenact the *Holocaust*\n\nLittle kids were told to simulate shooting each other, dying in gas chambers, and digging mass graves\n\nRead these details. They are horrifying: \n\nhttps://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-teacher-suspended-after-making-3rd-grade-kids-reenact-holocaust-scenes/\u00a0\u2026\n\n(1/6)— Matthew Foldi (@Matthew Foldi) 1640012525
Included among the justifiably outraged were some who had family members who died in the Holocaust.
Absolutely the most bizarre/ vile/ deeply antisemitic and traumatic thing a teacher could do\u2026 This is beyond and as someone who has school age Jewish children and family that were murdered in the holocaust this horrific on a very personal level..https://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-teacher-suspended-after-making-3rd-grade-kids-reenact-holocaust-scenes/\u00a0\u2026— Naomi #new&improved #houseofmoderna (@Naomi #new&improved #houseofmoderna) 1640023286
The incident came only a few weeks after Swastikas and bigoted messages were painted on the walls of the men's bathroom at Washington D.C's Woodrow Wilson High School.
After this latest incident was reported to The D.C. Public Schools’ Comprehensive Alternative Resolution and Equity Team, the staff member was placed on leave, pending an investigation.
A spokesperson for the team also issued a statement, apologizing to everyone affected by the actions of the staff member.
"This was not an approved lesson plan, and we sincerely apologize to our students and families who were subjected to this incident."
"[The school district] has launched an investigation, and students are being supported by our DCPS Comprehensive Alternative Resolution and Equity Team."
The email sent out by Principal Berkowitz also made it known all the children who partook in the appalling reenactment met with the school's mental health response team after what they went through became known.