SPECIAL SECTION: EDUCATION 2021
The Hope Chest
opens up Holocaust education for kids and teens By Mala Blomquist
T
he Arizona State Board of Education voted at the end of October 2020 to make learning about the Holocaust and other genocides a requirement for middle and high school students across the state. The Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation has created a curriculum project based on a memoir by local Holocaust survivor Oskar Knoblauch that they hope will be used by educators teaching these requirements. Titled “Hope Chest,” the curriculum takes students
on an immersive journey through Oskar’s experience during the Holocaust, beginning when he was just 13 years old. His autobiography, A Boy’s Story, A Man’s Memory: Remembering the Holocaust 1933–1945, tells the story of his family’s struggle to survive by working together and guided by lessons of respect and hope. Chris Harthun, residency and curriculum coordinator for Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, created the curriculum in conjunction with Oskar and two
Oskar Knoblauch
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE
PHOTO BY WILLY LANGE
