• Genocide Commemoration Day—April 16, 2024

    For the fourth year, we are hosting an all-District Genocide Commemoration Day.  At DHS, classes will be assigned to one or more of the keynote sessions, and then students will have options to build out the rest of their individual schedules, following their interests through the Learn, Remember and Take Action components of the programming.

     

    All day programming in person and online

    • Rwanda Genocide 30th Anniversary mini-museum - Visit the front hall during the week of Genocide Commemoration to view striking films and profiles of survivor Claire Mukundente and upstander Gary Bennett, and to explore what Americans knew about the genocide as it unfolded.  
    • Wall of Names - This is a tribute to those whose lives were lost to genocide.  These gold-on-black panels have been part of our annual displays for many years now.  They hold representations of victims from various genocides and were inspired by the website and hashtag #TogetherWeRemember.  This year, we also added a separate display related to the Tree of Life session, honoring victims of recent tragedies at places of worship.

    • Lest We Forget - This display includes profiles of victims, survivors, rescuers and upstanders with connections to District 113.  The moving biographies, often told by family members and each with a photograph, will be on display on the windows and on showcases outside the Auditorium.  The collection can be viewed on our Remember page.

    • Take Action Options - Our student team is working on compiling a variety of petitions on pending bills and other public policies, and we will have these both at our in-person displays and online; you can access these options under the Take Action webpage and on Instagram.  We also provided three sessions for students to learn upstander techniques (bystander intervention) through the ADL's Peer Influencer Training.

    • Upstander Wall - with stories of individuals and groups from right here at DHS to internationally recognized people who have made a difference and how; this year, we have a new display of a selection of people designated as Righteous Among the Nations

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    Session Information

     

    Social Studies teachers will tell their classes which of the three main sessions (periods 1, 3, 5) they are assigned to attend.  In addition, students will be allowed to sign up to attend any of the other main and smaller sessions, as space permits.  More information to come in your Social Studies classes the week before Spring Break.

     

    1st Period - John Geiringer & Adam Weber, "The History of Genocide Under International Law" (Auditorium—8:10-9:07 am)

    Based on work they have done co-teaching a course at Chicago Kent College of Law, Geiringer and Weber will discuss how the international laws meant to prevent and prosecute genocide were created and how they have been used in specific cases, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, where Mr. Weber served as prosecutor.

     

    3rd Period - Holocaust Survivor Ida Paluch Kersz (Auditorium—10:31-11:28 am)

    Kersz will tell us about her life before, during and after WWII.  You can read Kersz’s story or hear her on a new podcast at the IL Holocaust Museum.

     

    5th Period - Dr. Danny M. Cohen (Auditorium—1:15-2:12 pm)

    Dr. Danny M. Cohen is Professor of History and serves as co-chair of the IL Holocaust and Genocide Commission.  In this immersive, interactive learning experience, Prof. Cohen will center our common humanity as we consider the physical and emotional impacts of genocide for those who have endured the Holocaust, the Rwanda Genocide and other horrors, and also for those of us who learn about and thus bear witness and the burden of carrying those stories and images.

     

    Smaller Sessions 

     

    How to Handle Hate & Antisemitism on College Campuses and Beyond—GCD has been tracking hate on college campuses for many years, and tensions continue to rise, which relates to the foundations of what the ADL describes as the "pyramid of hate."  This panel of university students and representatives from local and campus support organizations will introduce you to the knowledge and skills to manage situations you may encounter at college and beyond.  (4-I in E114 - please note the change)

     

    A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting—Survivors & Allies on Healing Hate—In this film screening, you will hear from the survivors of the Tree of Life Synagogue tragedy and the Muslim and African American allies who came together to fight for love, not hate.  **After the screening, we will be joined live on screen by one the people featured in the film. (2nd Period in E114)

     

    Upstander/Bystander Intervention Trainings — DHS Peer Influencers, trained by the ADL, will lead this interactive session. (Periods 2, 4 and 6 in the Library Classroom)

     

    One Survivor's Story — Immerse yourself in the story of one survivor, Charlotte Raunheim, the great grandmother of a current DHS student, Milo Shapiro (DHS '26), who will be there to share family photos and a recorded interview produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  Transcripts will be available, if you would like to follow along. (Periods 2 & 6 in E116)