The Holocaust in Romania

This section focuses on the Holocaust in Romania and builds historical thinking skills

Guiding Question

• How was the Holocaust experienced in Romania?

Preparation

First and foremost, efforts should be made to create a safe classroom atmosphere before diving into challenging content.

Introduction

This lesson will focus on researching the Holocaust in Romania. Ensure that students have access to all needed materials. Depending on the needs of the classroom, research can be conducted through the lens of the stages of genocide, or students can research first and then learn about the stages of genocide after.

Lesson Activities

Historical Research

Teachers can use any or all of the included sources to examine the events of the Holocaust in Romania.

Timeline Activity

• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has this timeline activity which uses info cards to teach about the Holocaust. There is an extension that focuses on Elie Wiesel and his experience surviving the Holocaust in Romania. These are interactive activities which prompt learning about this heavy topic.

Where Did the Largest Numbers of Jews Murdered in the Holocaust Come From? Activity

• The University College of London (UCL) Centre for Holocaust Education has developed this short lesson focusing on historical data and information. This resource places a heavy emphasis on historical information and skills, thus it is important to follow-up by humanizing the data covered.

The Stages of Genocide

Either alongside or immediately following the lessons on historical context, students will take an in-depth look at the stages of genocide, analyzing how these steps took place in Romania.

• The United Nations Office of Genocide Prevention is a reliable resource.

Research Project

Students can complete a research assignment with a focus either on historical events or on the stages of genocide. This assignment can be done individually or as a group.

Conclusion

Wrap-up by by discussing the possibilities for presenting this research. Possibilities for projects include:

• Assign one stage to each small group. Ask them to present to the class how this step occurred in Romania.
• Have students work individually to create a timeline of events.
• Have students create a presentation on the Holocaust in Romania either individually or in small groups.
• Another option, depending on the needs of the class.

Support Materials

The following resources may be useful.

• The Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure) https://www.ehri-project.eu/elie-wiesel-national-institute-study-holocaust-romania-0
• Romania (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure) https://portal.ehri-project.eu/countries/ro
• Jewish Virtual Library (this virtual library hosts many resources, including primary sources) https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/
• Genocide (Montreal Holocaust Museum) http://genocide.mhmc.ca/en/
• The Holocaust Explained: Romania (The Wiener Holocaust Library) https://www.theholocaustexplained.org/life-in-nazi-occupied-europe/occupation-case-studies/romania/
• Romania (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/romania
• Rumaenien [Romania] (documentary) (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn1001658
• Primary Voices (Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre) https://vhec.org/primaryvoices/
• Open Hearts Closed Doors (Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre) https://vhec.org/open-hearts/english/index.html
• Murder of the Jews in Romania (Yad Vashem) https://www.yadvashem.org/holocaust/about/final-solution-beginning/romania.html
• Romania (Yad Vashem) https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/romania-historical-background.html
• The Story of the Jewish Community of Balti (Yad Vashem) https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/communities/balti/overview.asp
• Final Report of the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania (International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania) https://www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/20080226-romania-commission-holocaust-history.pdf