Holocaust Education Week: Manatee schools host survivor testimony and urge use of classroom resources
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Summary
School district educators and Jewish Federation partners highlighted Holocaust Education Week resources and introduced 98‑year‑old survivor Jeanette 'Gigi' Hirsch, who urged schools to invite survivors to speak so students remember the Holocaust.
At the Nov. 10 meeting the board heard a presentation on Holocaust Education Week and a brief testimony from Holocaust survivor Jeanette “Gigi” Hirsch.
Joe Baker, a teacher from Buffalo Creek Middle School, described classroom uses of local and statewide resources, credited partners at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota and Manatee for coordinating visits, and urged colleagues to use the materials to teach the Holocaust in age‑appropriate ways. Betty Zarett of the Jewish Federation introduced Jeanette Hirsch, described her history as a hidden child in France during World War II and noted Hirsch’s long involvement as a speaker to local schools. Hirsch addressed the board directly and said she is "very lucky to be here" and urged schools to invite her and other speakers so students learn that "the Holocaust did happen".
Board and district leaders presented a certificate to Baker honoring his work in Holocaust education and affirmed ongoing partnership with the Federation and curriculum staff. The district described state standards‑aligned resources and the Jewish Federation noted that roughly 20,000 students across Sarasota and Manatee have heard survivor testimony in the past decade.
What happens next: District staff and the Jewish Federation will continue to facilitate survivor visits and share resources with teachers and curriculum staff.