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JFR AND inSIGHT THROUGH EDUCATION RECOGNIZE THE FIRST GOLDSMITH STUDENT SCHOLARS OF THE HOLOCAUST
During the 2024-2025 academic school year, teachers in Palm Beach County Florida have been piloting JFR’s new online Holocaust education program, How Was it Possible? A Holocaust Curriculum For and By Teachers™ (HWIP). This was done under the direction of Kimberly Coombs, JFR Lerner Fellow 2022, with the support of inSIGHT Through Education, one of the JFR’s Holocaust Centers of Excellence Program. The JFR has spent the past three years developing HWIP. Prior to launching the program nation-wide, it was decided to pilot HWIP for a school year. The Palm Beach County Florida School District is the tenth largest district in the United States and was the perfect district to pilot the program due to the large number of JFR Alfred Lerner Fellows in the district and that Florida mandates teaching the Holocaust.
On Sunday, April 26, 2026, inSIGHT Through Education held a special luncheon to recognize and honor the students. At the luncheon, students and their teachers from twelve schools across the district participated in the program and received their Goldsmith Student Scholars of the Holocaust recognition. Their teachers received their Goldsmith Fellow of the Holocaust recognition. Approximately 500 students participated in the program and passed sixteen quizzes with a score of 80% or higher to qualify as a Goldsmith Student Scholar. More than 100 students and their parents attended the luncheon. In addition to recognizing these outstanding students, inSIGHT awarded its outstanding teacher award to Sheri Crawley (Lerner Fellow 2024). Also in attendance at the luncheon were Holocaust survivors and members of the Palm Beach County School Board.
The JFR would like to thank Kelly Warsaw, President and CEO of inSIGHT, Carly Beno also of inSIGHT for planning the luncheon which was outstanding. A thank you to Kimberly Coombs and the Palm Beach County teachers who worked with HWIP this past year. Click here for photos of the luncheon.
The JFR is now launching the program for the 2026-2027 school year. If you are interested in learning how you can bring HWIP to your school or school district, please email the JFR at jfr@jfr.org. HWIP is being offered at no cost. For information on the program please click here.
V-E DAY – MAY 8, 2026
On May 8, 2026, we will commemorate V-E Day – Victory in Europe. Please consider showing JFR’s award winning documentary Following the Footsteps of My Father. Here is a link to the documentary. We are also making the longer version of the documentary, Footsteps of My Father available as well. Here is the link for the longer version. The longer version is 38 minutes in length. Stanlee is also available to “meet” with your students online to discuss the making of the documentary, Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds, and the historiography of the Battle of the Bulge. The Teachers Guide for “Footsteps of My Father” is available on the JFR website. Here is a link to the Teacher’s Guide.
2026 SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Our 2026 Summer Institute got off to an early start! We have been Zooming with our 2026 Lerner Fellows. It is a great way for everyone to “meet” each other prior to arriving at the Hilton Newark Airport the end of June and to discuss topics of interest to the group.
2027 ADVANCED SEMINAR
The dates for the 2027 Advanced Seminar are January 16 – 17, 2027. The 2027 Advanced Seminar will be held at the Hilton Newark Airport. The Advanced Seminar is open to Alfred Lerner Fellows who are full-time teachers or Holocaust center education staff. The program is in the process of being planned. Seminar information and application will be emailed in September. The 2027 Advanced Seminar will focus on AI and its impact on Holocaust Education and Research, Liberation, and the International Military Tribunal. If you are interested in attending, please send Stanlee an email at sstahl@jfr.org.
The JFR mourns the passing of Tamara Osipova, a Righteous Gentile from Belarus. Tamara passed away in April 2026 at the age of 97. The JFR funded Tamara from 1998 until she passed away. Click here to read Tamara's story.
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