The Secret of the Success of Holocaust Education in Israel

ISSN： 0726-2655

Source： Education and Society, Vol.28, Iss.2, 2010-01, pp. : 29-44

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Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine what makes holocaust education in Israel so successful and why students actually ask for more hours on this subject. What makes instruction meaningful for students in the long run? Semi-structured interviews were held with 23 high school graduates. The interviews showed that the students mainly remember the informal dimension of the instruction as successful. Moreover, they remember the structure of instruction rather than the contents. Kahane’s structural components of informality were used to examine the level of informality that arose in the interviews. Four of Kahane’s eight structural components were found: symmetry, pragmatic symbolism, multiplexity and modularity. Using Kahane’s typology enables us to better understand the processes that students underwent during the lessons and the underlying psychological structure of the success of holocaust education.