Thank you to Mr Bell, Head of Politics and Teacher of History & Politics, for sharing his recent trip to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem with us.

Over the summer break, July 2023, Mr Bell was privileged to be accepted on an intensive, 10-day CPD course at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem learning about the Holocaust, dispelling misconceptions, and addressing pedagogical questions about how to teach this to pupils and students.

The course, run jointly by Holocaust Educational Trust (H.E.T.) and Yad Vashem, featured lectures from leading minds in the field of Holocaust Education. Participants heard from Dr David Silberklang, Senior Historian in the International Institute for Holocaust Research, Ephraim Zuroff from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre who has played a key role in bringing Nazi war criminals to justice, and  had the honour of hearing a first-hand survivor testimony from Aliza Landau, whose story of survival defies belief at every turn.

The lectures and workshops focused on Jewish life in Eastern Europe, origins of antisemitism, life in the ghettoes, the final solution, theology during the Holocaust and liberation.

As well Mr Bell’s subject knowledge and understanding, the course will have a huge impact for the BGS community. With the knowledge gained, the Holocaust curriculum in History lessons has been edited to reflect latest research, a combined approach to teaching the Holocaust is to be undertaken by the History, Religious Studies and Geography departments.

Mr Bell will also be facilitating BGS’ involvement in the Bury Council Holocaust Memorial event in January as well as leading BGS’ own Holocaust Memorial Day assembly.

Furthermore, in February, Mr Bell will be delivering a lecture on the Holocaust as part of the BGS Super Curriculum.

Mr Bell's research will not stop here, during October half-term, he will be attending another H.E.T. course in Vilnius, with a focus on pre-War Jewish life in Lithuania, using this knowledge to further benefit our community.

Mr Bell told us, "My participation on these courses would not be possible without the support of BGS, so sharing the knowledge gained with our school and community is essential. As the Holocaust fades further into History, we must work harder than ever to ensure the horrors of the past are never forgotten. Staff and students being exposed to world-leading Holocaust Education will ensure that in our community, we are doing all we can to achieve this goal."

Here are few key photographs that were taken in Yad Vashem.