Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Gonzaga Campus in Palermo: educating about memory to develop responsible citizens.

January 27, Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Gonzaga Campus in Palermo, is an opportunity to renew our educational commitment to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and transforming it into active awareness, capable of guiding choices for the present and the future.

On January 27 , on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day , the Gonzaga Campus in Palermo renews its educational commitment to preserving the memory of the Shoah and transforming it into active awareness , capable of guiding choices for the present and the future.

Remembrance Day at the Gonzaga Campus Palermo is not experienced as a simple anniversary, but as a shared educational journey , involving all schools, both the Italian and International Schools, in activities designed for the age of the students, with a common thread: remembering so as not to repeat, understanding so as to act, educating towards brotherhood .

Gonzaga Nursery School

The nursery school has chosen to address Holocaust Remembrance Day using age-appropriate language with the story "Pezzettino ," used as a symbolic tool to teach empathy and the value of diversity. After reading, the children participate in circle time , reflecting together on the importance of feeling part of a whole, of embracing differences, and of preserving the message of "never again" in a way appropriate to their age. The final activity is highly symbolic: each child receives a piece of paper and, together, they build a large heart on the lawn , a visual sign of a community that is formed by uniting differences.

Primary School: Remembering means caring

1st and 2nd Grade – Memory as a daily kindness

In the first and second grades of Primary School, Holocaust Remembrance Day is introduced through the story "The Doorkeeper Apollonia ." Starting from the story, teachers lead the children in a structured conversation on the meaning of not forgetting , understood as holding important people and values in our hearts.

The laboratory activities translate the message into concrete actions:

• writing kind words in Italian, English and Spanish;

• creation of a large flower made of petals colored by the children;

• creating a friendship graph in mathematics, to understand that the union of differences generates a force capable of doing good;

• construction of the “memory blanket” by assembling pieces of fabric brought from home.

Every day, children also write down a good deed they want to do for others, collecting it in a "good deed box ," so as not to forget that memory is lived in everyday life. The project runs from January to February, ideally connecting to the International Day of Fraternity .

3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade – From Memory to Global Responsibility

In the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades of primary school, Holocaust Remembrance Day is linked to International Fraternity Day , to underline that remembrance cannot remain confined to the past.

Students reflect on current issues such as ongoing conflicts around the world, understanding that memory must guide how we live in the present . Topics addressed include:

• the meaning of civil protests;

• the importance of demonstrating for a just cause, in a responsible and non-violent manner.

The journey culminates in a symbolic march around the campus , accompanied by songs in Italian and English, against wars in places like Palestine and Ukraine. Students march with multilingual banners , representing the cultures present at the school. The International School is expected to participate in this shared moment, singing and walking as one community .

Italian Primary School: Memory, Peace, and Solidarity

First Grade – A First Encounter with Memory

On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day , first-year students from the Italian Primary School participated in an educational program designed to introduce the youngest students to the meaning of this important anniversary.

The proposed activities allowed the children to understand, through age-appropriate language, the value of historical memory and the importance of the principles of peace, solidarity, and respect . During the meeting, a simple and thoughtful explanation of the Holocaust was offered, using communication methods that respect the sensitivity of six-year-olds.

The journey continued with the viewing of the video “The Forest of Memory” , a story that, through accessible metaphors and images, helps the little ones understand the meaning of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The experience concluded with a workshop, during which the students created a worksheet dedicated to the fundamental values of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and solidarity , encouraging personal reflection and collective sharing of these principles.

Third Grade – Memory through shared reading

On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day , with the third-year classes of the Primary School and in collaboration with the librarian Milena Libutti , a reading path was proposed in the library starting from the book “Isaac’s Cherry Tree” .

After a brief introduction to the historical period surrounding the Holocaust, led by the teachers, the librarian was entrusted with reading the text, in an atmosphere of attentive and participatory listening . Following the reading, a guided discussion took place, allowing the children to express their emotions, thoughts, and questions.

Middle School: Understanding, Reflecting, and Shaping Memory

First and Second Grades – Introduction to the Holocaust and Historical Memory

In the first and second classes of the Middle School, the path for the Day of the

Memoria opened with an introductory activity on the topic of the Holocaust through a presentation and a guided brainstorming session, aimed at bringing out students' prior knowledge, questions, and reflections.

Class discussion allowed for a deeper exploration of key themes such as human dignity, the value of life, and the significance of historical memory as a tool for raising awareness . Particular emphasis was placed on Liliana Segre 's testimony , which was also presented through a video, offering students direct access to the voices of those who experienced persecution.

The activity concluded with the creation of the Star of David , used as a symbol of reflection and remembrance, not as a mere historical sign, but as a reminder of individual and collective responsibility.

First Grade Classes – CLIL Integration in English

For first-year students, the program was enriched with a CLIL activity in English, featuring the reading of an excerpt from an autobiographical text by Liliana Segre. Students worked on their reading comprehension, developing linguistic skills and, at the same time, a greater historical and emotional awareness.

This integration fostered meaningful learning, combining language, history, and civics into a single learning experience.

Class 3A – Interdisciplinary journey through memory, history, and citizenship

An interdisciplinary program has been designed for class 3A, involving Italian, history, and civic education.

The process is divided into several phases:

• Praelectio – Context

  An initial moment to share knowledge about Holocaust Remembrance Day, the meaning of remembering, and the worrying signs of intolerance in the contemporary world.

• Lectio – Experience and in-depth study

  1. Indirect experience : resumption of the text The Train of Hope , read during the summer holidays, set in the context of the Second World War, between persecution, solidarity and stories of humanity.

  2. Historical insight : study of Nazism, anti-Semitism, anti-Semitism in Italy during the Fascist regime, the Resistance in Europe and the birth of the State of Israel.

  3. Civic education : analysis of the fundamental principles of the Italian Constitution, as the foundation of the democratic state.

• A guided reflection session aimed at guiding students towards more conscious and responsible action.

• Repetition – Action

  The class, divided into groups, works on dramatizing the text, creating a mini-script to present to the families, transforming the study into a shared experience.

First Grade – Education through Cinematic Language

With the first-year classes, the program included viewing the animated film “Anne Frank and the Secret Diary ,” which allowed students to explore the Holocaust through the story of a girl their age.

The reflection focused on the extraordinary nature of a childhood lived in extreme conditions, fostering empathy, identification, and awareness.

Class 1B – “Lest We Forget”

In class 1B, a three-hour workshop is scheduled, held during the week during some substitute teaching hours. This program allows students to learn about some of the emblematic figures of World War II : silent heroes who distinguished themselves through courage, moral strength, and love of life.

The workshop is held in English and concludes with the creation of thematic posters, which will be displayed in class as visible signs of memory and learning.

High Schools: Memory as a Philosophical and Historical Reflection

Fourth Year – Philosophy and the Holocaust

In high schools, work on Holocaust Remembrance Day developed through the project “ The Denied Subject: The Shoah between Descartes’ Cogito and Augustine’s Free Will”.

The students analyzed how the concentration camp system attempted to annihilate human beings, reducing them to objects, depriving them of their dignity as thinking subjects. Beginning with Cartesian Cogito , the course highlighted the attempted denial of human identity, while through the thought of Saint Augustine, they reflected on free will, individual responsibility, and evil understood as the absence of good.

The project concluded with a structured debate , which allowed students to update these philosophical categories, strengthening their civic awareness against all forms of contemporary indifference and dehumanization.

Fourth Year – History, Testimonies and Updates

With the fourth classes of the Classical and Scientific High School, the path took shape

through historical debate and the analysis of various lines of reflection, including:

• imperialism;

• women's resistance;

• Jewish resistance;

• trauma and torture;

• testimonies;

• deportation and forced migration.

The topics addressed are constantly updated, with a careful eye on contemporary contexts. A basic bibliography has been provided to support the work, with particular attention to testimonies, including Gitta Sereny 's interview books . The journey will conclude with a shared viewing of a selected film.

STEAM Path – Artificial Intelligence and Memory

Second-year STEAM students were asked to create, using an artificial intelligence-based program , an image capable of evoking the Holocaust and at the same time serving as a warning for the present and future generations .

The students participated in the activity with commitment and interest, creating the works enriched with a title , with the aim of strengthening the message underlying the image and stimulating an informed reflection on the topics addressed.

International School: Critical Thinking, History, and Global Citizenship

ISP Primary School – Beyond Prejudice

During the school assembly on January 23, students from the International School’s Primary School reflected on the short film “Snack Attack ,” which highlights how superficial interpretations can lead to unfair judgments.

The film becomes a starting point for working on the IB Open-Minded profile , promoting values such as kindness, sharing, and the ability to look beyond first impressions. The reflections are then explored in depth in class with teachers.

ISP Middle Years and Diploma – Memory as Analysis and Action

M2 English

Students study the epistolary text “Address Unknown” by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor, set in 1938. Through the exchange of letters between two German friends, the novel shows how the rise of Nazism and anti-Semitism can destroy deep relationships. The analysis is accompanied by a study of the historical context, the history of anti-Semitism, and the persecution of minorities before and during the Second World War.

M5 Italian

Students created an interactive Padlet dedicated to the theme of genocide throughout history, with a focus on the Armenian genocide. Reading excerpts from the novel "Lark Farm" provided an opportunity to produce reflections, images, letters, and songs dedicated to the survivors.

D2 Italian

Reading and analyzing Primo Levi's If This Is a Man leads students to engage with the poem "Shema ." Students choose between writing contemporary poetic texts or creating graphic works that express the theme.

of dehumanization.

M4 and M5 – Italian as an Additional Language

The program transforms Holocaust Remembrance Day into an inspiration for action . Students plan future initiatives to raise awareness among their peers, including an immersive program structured as follows:

1. sensory experience (bunker room with sounds and images);

2. space for meeting and testimony ;

3. photographic exhibition on genocides of the past and present .

Interdisciplinary approach

• Science (M3) : photographic analysis of children from the Warsaw Ghetto to reflect on the concept of “social ecosystem” and the consequences of its destruction.

• Individuals and Societies (M1–M2) : quiz on the Jewish presence in Palermo, followed by a reflection on local history and the broader context of the Shoah.

  
  

Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Gonzaga Campus Palermo thus becomes a shared educational journey , an opportunity to preserve memory, in which the memory of the Shoah is not confined to the past, but is transformed into responsibility, empathy, and civic commitment .

Remembering means teaching people to recognize injustice, to reject indifference, and to build relationships based on respect and the dignity of each person, so that the past becomes a conscious guide for the future. Because remembering is not just a duty: it is an act of hope for the future.