Yad Vashem Christian Leadership Seminars

Christian Leadership Seminar on Holocaust, anti-Semitism and Israel

Dates: 
TBD - 2021

Place:
Online

Seminar:
The Holocaust is a defining event in human history, which generated a credibility crisis of major proportions in our most basic assumptions about the nature of mankind, of society, of the modern state, and of our responsibility as individuals to take a stand against unjust suffering of innocent people everywhere. These universal questions, and many others, touch upon the very foundations of civilization and even now, over seventy years since the end of World War II, we have not yet come to terms with the implications of this event. The Holocaust has therefore become a compelling challenge for concerned individuals all over the world.

Yad Vashem, as the world’s leading institution for Holocaust education, commemoration and documentation, is the best place to help committed individuals to meet this challenge in an open, honest, and professional environment. Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies together with the Christian Friends of Yad Vashem is offering Christian educators, media professionals, senior pastors and ministry leaders a unique proactive and educational experience in remembering the past and shaping the future. During the seminar in Israel the select group of about 30 participants will experience world-class lectures, moving Holocaust survivor testimonies and an introduction to Israel. The seminar will also include attending a very moving state ceremony during Israel’s National Holocaust Memorial Day at Yad Vashem in the presence of the President of the State of Israel, the Prime Minister and many other senior Israeli and foreign dignitaries.

Aplication process:
 

Application deadline:
 

Notification of acceptance:
 

Participants:
Course participants are required to attend all the sessions and to actively participate in the exercises and discussions. They will be expected to use and disseminate the knowledge gained during the seminar to connect their communities, ministries and followers with Holocaust remembrance and education. We also encourage you to host Christian Friends of Yad Vashem events.

Participation Fee and Scholarship:
 

E-mail:
christian.friends@yadvashem.org.il

Fax:
+972-2-644-3429

Young Christian Leadership Seminar

Dates:
2021 Dates coming soon

Place:
Online

The Course:
The Holocaust is a defining event in human history, which generated a credibility crisis of major proportions in our most basic assumptions about the nature of mankind, of society, of the modern state, and of our responsibility as individuals to take a stand against unjust suffering of innocent people everywhere. These universal questions, and many others, touch upon the very foundations of civilization and even now, over seventy years since the end of World War II, we have not yet come to terms with the implications of this event. The Holocaust has therefore become a compelling challenge for concerned individuals all over the world.

Yad Vashem is best placed to help these committed individuals to meet this challenge in an open, honest, and professional environment. Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies is offering young leaders a unique educational experience. During a seminar in Israel the select group of about 30 participants will experience world-class lectures, moving Holocaust survivor testimonies and an introduction to Israel. (See rationale).

Application Process:
 

Participants:
Participants are expected to be Young Christian leaders (professionals, students or church), who will be using the knowledge gained during the seminar to connect their communities and ministries with Holocaust remembrance and education. Course participants are expected to attend all the sessions and to actively participate in the exercises and discussions.

Scholarship:

Fax. +972-2-644-3429
E-mail: christian.friends@yadvashem.org.il

Rational

Seminars for Christian Leaders:

This seminar will be first and foremost, a learning experience that will require a tremendous amount of physical, intellectual, and emotional stamina. Throughout most of the seminar you will find yourself sitting in the classroom listening to the pre-eminent scholars in the various fields of Holocaust scholarship, research, and pedagogy.

In order to create the educational atmosphere that we believe is important; this seminar will require a tremendous amount of listening, patience, and humility. Participants come to Yad Vashem from all over the world. The international flavor of the seminars allows the Christian leaders to experience the diverse understanding and denominational backgrounds of their colleagues. This imbues the seminar with an international perspective on Holocaust education that could not be achieved in a seminar open only to one specific geographical or denominational group.

What are the educational objectives in our seminars?

The seminar is built upon three major pillars; academic, theological, and experiential.

A. The academic component will take you through the history and culture of the Jewish people in the interwar period, a people with diverse interests and roots – not a people born as victims. It will continue through the history of Antisemitism, the stages of the Final Solution, and the Jewish response to the Nazi onslaught. This element, although historically based, will include lectures on literature, theology, music, and art.

B. The theological component will provide the participants with some understanding of the role Christianity played in Medieval and Nazi Antisemitism as well as its different manifestations until today. The participants will be experiencing a locally flavored worship service as well as a meeting with a Christian leader living in Jerusalem.

C. The experiential component has the following elements:

• During the course of this seminar, participants meet with survivors whose testimonies document and personalize this tragic historical event. These survivors and their stories of life during and after the war and their immigration to the State of Israel provide the Holocaust with a human face and heart and emphasize their Zionist spirit and determination to help build the newly founded Jewish State.
• The second element is field trips that will connect participants not only with the recent history of the Jewish people but also with its ancient roots in the Land of Israel. These guided tours will present the Israeli-Jewish narrative of both the ancient and recent history of the country. Emphasis is put on key Christian holy sites and a Communion will be shared.
• The seminar will also address the recent upsurge of Antisemitism and Holocaust denial throughout the world today including strategies for combating these phenomena.
• We will continue to address the Arab – Israeli conflict as it unfolds, although this is not a major component and certainly not the focus of this seminar. This component will be presented by Israeli-Jewish scholars and will focus on the Israeli-Jewish narrative of this conflict.
• We offer you a unique opportunity to increase your knowledge, experience and understand interfaith Jewish-Christian relations, and see the Israel that is home to the Jewish people, in an international environment designed to promote scholarship, dialogue, and pedagogy.