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Visit Media Smarts for guides and teaching tools for students of all grade levels, for caregivers and educators.

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Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews that may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.

Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for "why things go wrong." It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms, and actions and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

It can also be called Jew-hate, Jew-hatred, and anti-Jewish racism.

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Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews that may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for "why things go wrong." It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms, and actions and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

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Setting Conditions for Critical Conversations

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Setting Conditions for Critical Conversations

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How the racist ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory went mainstream | Day 6 | Live Radio | CBC Listen

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Why the Jews? The History of Antisemitism

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Why the Jews? The History of Antisemitism

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Level: Grades 10-12

Duration: 2 to 3 hours

Author: Jeff Gagnon, Media Education Specialist, MediaSmarts
Overview
This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & CREATE: A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools.

In this lesson students learn how digital media is used to promote or combat hatred and intolerance. The class begins with a discussion on the different ways that hate organizations disseminate their messages using digital media and how this medium offers the potential to work against hatred and intolerance. In a jigsaw activity, students visit and analyze the supporting websites of five anti-hate organizations/initiatives and then apply what they've learned to the development of their own anti-hate campaigns.
Learning Outcomes
This lesson is part of the Facing Online Hate lesson series.

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

Explore the issue of hate and various ways to challenge it

Be aware of the strategies used by anti-hate organizations to promote tolerance and respect

Understand how the Internet can be used to facilitate the promotion of tolerance and respect

Recognize the characteristics of a successful awareness campaign

Understand the role we all can play in countering racism and intolerance.

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

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Level: Grades 10-12 Duration: 2 to 3 hours Author: Jeff Gagnon, Media Education Specialist, MediaSmarts Overview This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & CREATE: A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools . In this lesson students learn how digital media is used to promote or combat hatred and intolerance.

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http://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

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Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline, a place where the public and electronic service providers can report suspected online and offline child sexual exploitation. The millions of reports made each year uniquely situate NCMEC to identify trends and create prevention resources to address the evolving needs of kids and teens online.

NetSmartz is NCMEC's online safety education program. It provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline.

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Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline, a place where the public and electronic service providers can report suspected online and offline child sexual exploitation. The millions of reports made each year uniquely situate NCMEC to identify trends and create prevention resources to address the evolving needs of kids and teens online.

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Canadian Anti-Hate Network
Source: Unsplash
People who are trying to recruit and groom youth into white supremacy and other hate movements often prey on young people's feelings of alienation and distance from their real-life social circles and support systems. Sometimes just teenagers themselves, they encourage young people's antagonism and ​​distrust of supportive adults, and present themselves as the only ones who truly understand and care about the young person.

The following conversations can help to build trust and rapport, as well as help you get an idea of whether, and to what extent, a young person is being exposed to, influenced by, and engaging with white supremacist and other hate ideologies.

Online gaming has been found to have numerous social, emotional, and educational benefits - especially during the isolation of the pandemic lockdowns. A young person having an active and social gaming life is by no means a red flag, and in many cases can actually be an adaptive coping mechanism for a destabilizing, distressful, and lonely time.

However, bad actors of all kinds have exploited the increased time young people are spending online, including in gaming spaces, to cause them harm. Online gaming, specifically, has long had a problem with toxicity, extreme aggression, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and racism. , a year-long campaign of coordinated harassment against women in the gaming industry, was in many ways a precedent for the rise of the alt-right.

Ask who they play with, where those people live, how old they are, and any other details they may know that can help you determine if there are concerns.

Ask what they like about the people they play with, and about how they make them feel. What do they talk about when they play together?

Ask if anyone they game with ever makes them feel scared or badly about themselves, or any aspect of their life.

Ask if you can play together sometime, so you can get a sense of what their experience is like.

Ask if they ever watch other people play video games, and which sites they use.

Asking about gaming is a great way to demonstrate to a young person in your life that you like hearing about the things they are interested in, while also gaining important information about the role - positive or negative - that this hobby plays in their life.

Asking questions about the mechanics and strategies of the game can help the conversation feel less like an interrogation about their online habits. Think about how good it feels when someone asks you to talk about hobbies!

Pay attention if they mention streaming sites like Trovo and DLive - these are spaces with low content moderation that have made a comfortable home for hate-promoting streamers. Twitch also has moderation issues, but it's the most widely used platform and is a safer place for kids to watch streamers play video games.

This Vent Diagram shows the tension between different, seemingly conflicting, realities about online gaming. While gaming can be beneficial, it remains a space where youth are frequently exposed to hateful content.

Conversations about media can help you get a sense of where a young person's media literacy is at and where they're getting their news. White supremacists - especially those who target youth - are often skilled propagandists who curate and design their content to be as appealing to children and teenagers as possible. A style guide for the fascist website Daily Stormer was leaked in 2018, revealing that staff were directed to "write at the 8th grade level" and to couch slurs in humour, so as to follow "the generally light tone of the site."

Invite them to pick a story in the news, and then ask them questions like:

Ask what they think about the people and groups in the story: Is there a hero or villain of this story? What clues did they use to decide that?

Ask about who is included in the story, and who might be excluded. Why might those people have been excluded? Pay attention to responses that endorse a "both sides" view of stories about hate and oppression.

Ask if they know anything about the author and publisher of the story. What do they think about the author and publisher's credibility? Do they think the story has been framed fairly?

Ask if they have seen this story told elsewhere, in a different way. What was different about it?

Pay attention to responses that cite outlets that have promoted far-right and/or other disinformation like , the programming history of these outlets has included hateful, bigoted, and conspiratorial content under the guise of respectability. Rebel Media, Post Millennial, The Daily Wire, Breitbart, FOX News, and While not overtly or explicitly fascist like the Daily Stormer

Talking to youth about current events allows you to get a feeling for how their political and social consciousness is developing. In combination with conversations about media, you can learn about where a young person is getting their information. Current events, particularly traumatic events, can be influential in shaping a young person's ideology. That's why it's important to provide them with a supportive container for processing these events.

Ask about what they already know about the event, and where they learned that. Have they heard anything about the event that doesn't match what they know? Where did they hear that?

Ask what questions they have about the event. Is there anything they have heard or seen that they don't understand?

Ask how they feel about this event.

Ask what kinds of things have come up when they have talked to their friends or peers about this event? Do their friends or peers have questions or big feelings you can help with?

Pay attention to responses that scapegoat entire groups, involve conspiratorial thinking, or blame the victim. If you don't have the answers, say that, and then try to find out together - this allows you to show humility, and model a robust research process. Remind them that even if they don't have any questions right now, they can always ask you later.

In the case of traumatic or critical events, remind them that their first thoughts and feelings about it don't always necessarily reflect the kind of people they want to be. Help them unpack and think critically about responses that rely on stereotypes and scapegoating.

We know from our time spent monitoring white supremacist spaces that young people in these spaces are often encouraged to have antagonistic feelings towards their teachers, and the content of classroom learning. Others in the space will leap upon more generic (but still concerning) statements of dissatisfaction and alienation from the content, and foment more extreme versions of these sentiments. Asking about school can be a way to intercept those more generic (but still concerning) attitudes, and help a young person process and think critically about them.

Ask what they are learning in their classes. Consider asking specifically about social sciences and humanities courses, like history, English, social studies, religion, and civics. Issues around diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice are more likely to come up in these classes, which we have seen provoke strong reactions in youth who are engaging with hateful ideologies.

Ask if there is anything they don't understand about what they are learning. If you aren't able to explain it, look for the answer together.

Ask if there is anything they disagree with. There are many things that a young person might learn at school and validly - or not-so-validly - disagree with.

Classrooms are not inherently anti-oppressive spaces. For example, a teacher on Vancouver Island received complaints from students for using the n-slur while reading a novel during lessons on Black History Month.

Pay attention for responses that endorse or express curiosity about Holocaust denial or other historic revisionism about atrocities and genocides (i.e. "We don't know how many Jews died in the Holocaust" or "My teacher doesn't talk about any of the of residential schools").

As the SPLC and the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab in their Parents and Caregivers Guide to Online Radicalization , "Extremists looking to recruit and convert children are predatory. Like all forms of child exploitation, extremist recruitment drives a wedge between young people and the adults they would typically trust."
If you are concerned about a youth in your life, we are available for free, confidential consultation and assessment at any time at [email protected] .
Sometimes, they are able to drive this wedge by preying on very real circumstances of abuse and neglect in a young person's family of origin. A on the extent and nature of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) among former white supremacists, found an association between "the cumulative impact of multiple adverse experiences during childhood" and involvement in white supremacist extremism.

The good news is that has also indicated that the detrimental effects of childhood trauma can be effectively buffered by relationships with supportive adults - this is a major reason why we consider confronting and preventing hate in Canadian schools to be a shared responsibility among all adults who are invested in the wellbeing of youth.

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Conversations For Parents And Caregivers To Keep Kids Safe From Hate Movements

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Canadian Anti-Hate Network Source: Unsplash People who are trying to recruit and groom youth into white supremacy and other hate movements often prey on young people's feelings of alienation and distance from their real-life social circles and support systems. Sometimes just teenagers themselves, they encourage young people's antagonism and ​​distrust of supportive adults, and present themselves as the only ones who truly understand and care about the young person.

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Welcome to the updated Digital Citizenship Website

Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology. Digital citizenship is the continuously developing norms of appropriate, responsible, and empowered technology use. Too often we are seeing students as well as adults misusing and abusing technology but not sure what to do. The issue is more than what the users do not know but what is considered appropriate technology usage.

The Knights of 17th Street ​is a fiction book for Young Adults that connects with the ideas of digital citizenship in an action filled format. Check out more information here.

Order the paperback or Kindle version from Amazon.

The new Digital Citizenship Handbook for School Leaders: Fostering Positive Interactions Online by Mike Ribble and Marty Park, is now available at ISTE.org or Amazon.com

Digital Citizenship Today

I want to thank everyone working so diligently during these difficult times. With so many students now working from home - many using digital devices it makes this topic of Digital Citizenship so critical! I want to thank Ms. Amanda Brace from Regina, SK to have a conversation about COVID-19 and its relationship to Digital Citizenship. If you would like to listen to this podcast it is available in multiple options: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and voicEd.ca. She also wrote a short blog post about this conversation, which also includes some of the resource links on her website - EdTechEndeavours. With the leadership of educators like Amanda and so many of you we will get through this time. Please stay safe!

The concept of Digital Citizenship is being viewed as an important area of educational knowledge not only in the United States but around the world. Whether it is called digital citizenship, digital wellness or digital ethics the issues are the same; how should we act when we are using digital tools, interacting with others online, and what should be taught to help the next generation be better stewards of this technology.

After 15 years working on this topic there has been some updating to the nine elements of Digital Citizenship. In addition to the updates to the the Digital Citizenship definition, as well as the Nine Elements a new Framework has been created to help users to understand and organize these themes. It is the S3 Framework (Safe, Savvy and Social). Go to the Nine Elements page to learn more about these changes.

Some great materials and discussions for our 2019 Digital Citizenship week! Here are a couple of conversations on the topic: Facebook Live with Tito de Morais (Portugal) - Facebook: facebook.com/cyberbullying.pt/videos/464966610778236/

YouTube: https://youtu.be/_HbNRzyoNBc and a Podcast with LaKisha Hudson (Dr. Hudson's Counseling Corner) Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-hudsons-counseling-corner/id1433902401#episodeGuid=Buzzsprout-1813330
YouTube: https://youtu.be/lF71q5x5Dn8 Buzzsprout: http://www.buzzsprout.com/152176

Working with Dr. Marty Park we have released a a new, updated book on Digital Citizenship titled - The Digital Citizenship Handbook for School Leaders: Fostering Positive Interactions Online. Once again we will be partnering with ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). Don't let the title scare you off, if you are looking for information on Digital Citizenship, you are a school leader. If you have questions or comments about the material found on this website please click on the Contact Us link to send us your information. If you are interested in reading more about Digital Citizenship please go to the Resources page then scroll down to Publications and click on the link for information you are interested in. See the latest article in Tech & Learning (Spring 2019) - Digital Citizenship Framework Updated

For those who are a member of ISTE please join the Digital Citizenship PLN (Professional Learning Network) to see how you can get involved. There is also a new initiative for everyone interested in the Digital Citizenship discussion - #digcitcommit. Go to the website - https://digcitcommit.org/ to join in. We need everyone to lend their voice to this topic.

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Digital Citizenship Consulting - Education, Technology Support

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Welcome to the updated Digital Citizenship Website Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology.

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Kanye West and the Mainstreaming of Antisemitism

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Kanye West and the Mainstreaming of Antisemitism

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Visit us for articles and more from Front Burner with Jayme Poisson

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Toronto high schooler Jacqueline Snidman-Stren is no stranger to experiencing antisemitism, from people invoking Hitler and drawing swastikas to taunt the Jewish student - "they think it's funny" - to scrolling through social feeds and seeing comments and videos spouting conspiracy theories about Jewish people.

"I've seen on social media that Jewish people committed 9/11. That Jewish people run social media. Run the government. Control the weather. I've seen a bunch of crazy conspiracy theories that are completely not true," said the Grade 12 student, whose social accounts include Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and Pinterest.

"These people don't even know what they're talking about, but they decide to say it anyway because they see it on other platforms."

While public school students usually get some Holocaust education, it isn't enough to counter the antisemitic messages young people see and share online, whether intentionally or through ignorance, she said.

"We don't learn about the Holocaust in a curriculum until Grade 10 history and even then we don't learn a lot."

As events marking Holocaust Education Week get underway, CBC News talked to students and experts about antisemitism facing young people in online spaces today, and the need for better education to help navigate harmful and pervasive misinformation in these social spheres.

WATCH | Teens, experts on facing antisemitic videos, comments on social media:

What's behind it now?

In times of worldwide anxiety and worry, people often search for someone to blame, says Dara Solomon, executive director of the Toronto Holocaust Museum, which opens in spring 2023.

"We've seen a really unfortunate rise of hate in all of all kinds since COVID began really and we're seeing a real unfortunate rise in antisemitism specifically. A lot of this is online and this is where our kids are," she said.

Misinformation researcher Abbie Richards agrees, saying that amid significant social, political and economic unrest, some just find it easier to scapegoat a specific group.

"It's a way to channel anger and rage and a sense of injustice.... You don't actually have to fix a broken system. All you have to do is persecute this group," explained Richards, an American TikToker whose area of study includes investigating conspiracy theories spreading via the now-ubiquitous social platform.

Where do kids see this content?

According to Richards, toxic antisemitism and hate can be prominent on alternative social media platforms, because they're either less or completely unmoderated. Yet even on moderated mainstream platforms, "you're still seeing it," she said.

"Wherever people who hold antisemitic beliefs go in digital spaces, they carry that antisemitism with them."

While specific topics may be more frequently targeted with antisemitic commentary (a video discussing Israel and Palestine, for instance), it also turns up in unexpected places. Last year, Richards explored a seemingly "fun conspiracy theory about Antarctica" going viral. Some digging uncovered neo-Nazi mythology.

WATCH |Top social media platforms must do more to combat antisemitism, says MP:

Videos younger kids are watching online should also be on adults' radar, added high school senior Snidman-Stren.

"A video can go from Peppa Pig to Peppa Pig with a swastika and a Nazi outfit on - in a matter of seconds - because people think it's a funny joke. And the [video's] title may be normal, but then it turns into something like that."

With social media such a big part of most people's lives today, it's that much easier for disturbing content and misinformation to spread, noted her schoolmate Maya Klimitz.

"It doesn't matter how much education you have or how much you actually know about the topic.... [Social media] gives people the ability to share their information with millions of people," said the Grade 10 student in Toronto.

Classmate Eve Pascoe, also in Grade 10, believes there's intention behind the antisemitic material she's seen shared.

"These accounts are like people who don't reveal themselves. They don't have names. They don't have any videos of themselves, so I think they know what they're doing is bad."

Swift action needed

Museum director Solomon worries that this kind of content proliferating on social media normalizes antisemitism to young people.

"Kids see it. They don't necessarily know what it is and they just know that it's forbidden content. So then it's attractive to them and they start using it in graffiti and that sort of thing," she said.

"Part of our work is letting [students] know that these symbols are actually tied to history and they have to understand that just putting them up on a school and ... scratching one on the board is not OK."

Repeated exposure has a real effect, according to Richards.

"The more you see something, the more it appears to be true. And the more you see something extremist or radical, the less it's going to seem extremist or radical."

Strategies for parents and educators

Richards recommends adults first establish an atmosphere where kids feel safe sharing what they see online, before talking with them on a regular basis about they're scrolling through.

"They need to be aware that this exists in the digital spaces that they're going to be navigating," she said.

"Making sure that we are checking in with kids ... about what they're seeing and how those narratives could potentially cause real-world harm are discussions that we should be constantly having.... Not just now, not just this week, but all the time."

Age-appropriate education resources can help counter online misinformation about Jewish people and about the Holocaust, according to Solomon, who says "education is the most important tool, not just for our children but for adults and parents as well."

She pointed to Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre's resources that share Holocaust history from multiple perspectives and through the testimony of survivors, whether visiting classrooms or screened online. For parents and educators of middle-schoolers, a new program of short animated videos based on real-life incidents involving students aims to teach about the impact of antisemitism.

If students are unfamiliar with the Jewish community, Solomon added, adults should not just rush in and start with the Holocaust.

"Introduce Jewish heritage and culture and traditions and local history, rather than doing a deep dive into antisemitism in the Holocaust [first]... Start with the culture like you would with any other group."

Rather than trying to turn back time to some pre-internet, pre-social media age, "we must dig into 'Why do people feel powerless and out of control and then turn to conspiracy theories in the first place?'" said Richards.

"It's going to require a lot of social empowerment, a lot of education to get through this and to shift our discourse. But that's not to say that it's impossible."

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Antisemitic conspiracies are rampant online. Students, experts share how to combat them | CBC News

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Toronto high schooler Jacqueline Snidman-Stren is no stranger to experiencing antisemitism, from people invoking Hitler and drawing swastikas to taunt the Jewish student - "they think it's funny" - to scrolling through social feeds and seeing comments and videos spouting conspiracy theories about Jewish people. "I've seen on social media that Jewish people committed 9/11.

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From: https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/one-world-posters

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Digital Passport by Common Sense Education is an award-winning suite of engaging games that address key issues facing kids in today's digital world.

Teachers, this way to the Educator Guide to Digital Passport!

Get resources

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Digital Passport™ by Common Sense Education

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Digital Passport™ is an award-winning suite of engaging interactive games that address critical issues for students in today's digital world. Teach your students the ins and outs of digital learning, online communication, and online safety, and help them build lifelong digital skills.

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TDSB Equity Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression Internal Website

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TDSB Equity Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression Internal Website

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Welcome to the "fundamentals" section of our website, where we bring together the various concepts and competencies that define what it is to be literate in today's complex media culture. Here we explore digital literacy and media literacy and their underlying aspects and principles.

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What is the Hitler salute, and why should it never be used?

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"If ever a piece of writing could produce mass hatred, it is this one. . . . This book is about lies and slander."
-Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Protocols of the Elders of Zion The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is the most notorious and widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times. Its lies about Jews, which have been repeatedly discredited, continue to circulate today, especially on the Internet. The individuals and groups who have used the Protocols are all linked by a common purpose: to spread hatred of Jews.

The Protocols is entirely a work of fiction, intentionally written to blame Jews for a variety of ills. Those who distribute it claim that it documents a Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world. The conspiracy and its alleged leaders, the so-called Elders of Zion, never existed.

The Origin of a Lie

In 1903, portions of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion were serialized in a Russian newspaper, Znamya (The Banner). The version of the Protocols that has endured and has been translated into dozens of languages, however, was first published in Russia in 1905 as an appendix to The Great in the Small: The Coming of the Anti-Christ and the Rule of Satan on Earth, by Russian writer and mystic Sergei Nilus.

Although the exact origin of the Protocols is unknown, its intent was to portray Jews as conspirators against the state. In 24 chapters, or protocols, allegedly minutes from meetings of Jewish leaders, the Protocols "describes" the "secret plans" of Jews to rule the world by manipulating the economy, controlling the media, and fostering religious conflict.

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, anti-Bolshevik émigrés brought the Protocols to the West. Soon after, editions circulated across Europe, the United States, South America, and Japan. An Arabic translation first appeared in the 1920s.

Beginning in 1920, auto magnate Henry Ford's newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, published a series of articles based in part on the Protocols. The International Jew, the book that included this series, was translated into at least 16 languages. Both Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels, later head of the propaganda ministry, praised Ford and The International Jew.

Fraud Exposed

In 1921, the London Times presented conclusive proof that the Protocols was a "clumsy plagiarism." The Times confirmed that the Protocols had been copied in large part from a French political satire that never mentioned Jews-Maurice Joly's Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu (1864). Other investigations revealed that one chapter of a Prussian novel, Hermann Goedsche's Biarritz (1868), also "inspired" the Protocols.
The Times, August 17, 1921
The Nazi Era

Nazi Party ideologue Alfred Rosenberg introduced Hitler to the Protocols during the early 1920s, as Hitler was developing his worldview. Hitler referred to the Protocols in some of his early political speeches, and, throughout his career, he exploited the myth that "Jewish-Bolshevists" were conspiring to control the world.

During the 1920s and 1930s, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion played an important part in the Nazis' propaganda arsenal. The Nazi party published at least 23 editions of the Protocols between 1919 and 1939. Following the Nazis' seizure of power in 1933, some schools used the Protocols to indoctrinate students.

Fraud Exposed

In 1935, a Swiss court fined two Nazi leaders for circulating a German-language edition of the Protocols in Berne, Switzerland. The presiding justice at the trial declared the Protocols "libelous," "obvious forgeries," and "ridiculous nonsense."

The US Senate issued a report in 1964 declaring that the Protocols were "fabricated." The Senate called the contents of the Protocols "gibberish" and criticized those who "peddled" the Protocols for using the same propaganda technique as Hitler.

In 1993, a Russian court ruled that Pamyat, a far-right nationalist organization, had committed an antisemitic act by publishing the Protocols.

Despite these repeated exposures of the Protocols as a fraud, it remains the most influential antisemitic text of the past one hundred years, and it continues to appeal to a variety of antisemitic individuals and groups.

The Protocols Today

According to the US Department of State's "Report on Global Anti-Semitism" (2004),

"The clear purpose of the [ Protocols is] to incite hatred of Jews and of Israel."

In the United States and Europe, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and Holocaust deniers endorse and circulate the Protocols. Books based on the Protocols are available worldwide, even in countries with hardly any Jews such as Japan.

Many school textbooks throughout the Arab and Islamic world teach the Protocols as fact. Countless political speeches, editorials, and even children's cartoons are derived from the Protocols. In 2002, Egypt's government-sponsored television aired a miniseries based on the Protocols, an event condemned by the US State Department. The Palestinian organization Hamas draws in part on the Protocols to justify its terrorism against Israeli civilians.

The Internet has dramatically increased access to the Protocols. Even though many websites expose the Protocols as a fraud, the Internet has made it easy to use the Protocols to spread hatred of Jews. Today, a typical Internet search yields several hundred thousand sites that disseminate, sell, or debate the Protocols or expose them as a fraud.

Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

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The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is the most widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times. Although repeatedly discredited, it continues to circulate.

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Students learn a new concept, universe of obligation, and use it to analyze the ways that their society designates who is deserving of respect and caring.

Civics & Citizenship

History

Social Studies

The Holocaust

Human & Civil Rights

The resources I'm getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable.

- Claudia Bautista, Santa Monica, Calif

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Students learn a new concept, universe of obligation, and use it to analyze the ways that their society designates who is deserving of respect and caring. Civics & Citizenship History Social Studies The Holocaust Human & Civil Rights The resources I'm getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable.

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Interactive lessons and activities for all students!

Use digital citizenship lesson plans to address timely topics and prepare students to take ownership of their digital lives. Browse lessons by grade and topic below, or see an overview of the curriculum.
We've got more new lessons! Explore all lesson plans or check our lesson collections!

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DigCit Curriculum | Common Sense Education

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Research-backed digital citizenship lesson plans help schools navigate timely topics, such as cyberbullying, online safety, privacy, and media literacy.

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White Rose | History, Members, & Leaflets

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White Rose, German anti-Nazi group formed in Munich in 1942. Unlike the conspirators of the July Plot (1944) or participants in such youth gangs as the Edelweiss Pirates, the members of the White Rose advocated nonviolent resistance as a means of opposing the Nazi regime. Three of the group’s found…

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A Learning Site for Students: Holocaust Encyclopedia

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A Learning Site for Students: Holocaust Encyclopedia

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Organized by theme, this learning site presents an overview of the Holocaust through historical photographs, maps, images of artifacts, and testimony clips. It is a resource for middle and secondary level students and teachers, with content that reflects the history as it is presented in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Permanent Exhibition.

Nazi Rule

Browse 9 articles about the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany. Learn about how the Nazis took control of the police and turned Germany into a dictatorship; used propaganda and censorship to implement a racist ideology; and implemented brutal policies as Germany annexed and occupied parts of Europe.

Jews in Prewar Germany

Browse a series of 9 articles about Jewish life in Germany and Europe before 1939. Learn about antisemitism and international attitudes toward Jews. Also, read about how the Nazis implemented antisemitic laws and organized state-sponsored violence and discrimination against the Jews of Germany. Each article includes three key dates related to its main topic.

The "Final Solution"

Browse a series of 8 articles on the Nazi plan to deliberately murder European Jews. These articles explain how the Nazis implemented the "Final Solution" by establishing ghettos and killing centers in occupied Poland; deploying Einsatzgruppen (special action squads) to commit mass shootings; and the organization of mass deportations of Jews to ghettos and killing centers.

Nazi Camp System

Browse a series of 8 articles on the history of the Nazi camp system. Learn about the different types of camps operated by the Nazi regime; who was incarcerated in these camps and why; what happened to the prisoners of the camps at the end of the war; and about the Nuremberg Trials established to bring Nazi perpetrators to justice.

Rescue and Resistance

Browse a series of 7 articles on rescue and resistance. Learn about how some Jews survived the Holocaust despite the inhumane conditions created by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Read about people who tried to rescue Jews; resistance groups who opposed the Nazi regime and occupations; and Jews who revolted against Nazi oppression in the Warsaw ghetto and in killing centers.

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The Holocaust: A Learning Site for Students

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Organized by theme, this learning site presents an overview of the Holocaust through historical photographs, maps, images of artifacts, and testimony clips. It is a resource for middle and secondary level students and teachers, with content that reflects the history as it is presented in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Permanent Exhibition.

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Lessons, Units, Professional Learning

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Explore our online resource on the Indian Residential Schools and their long-lasting effects on Canada's Indigenous Peoples.

Transforming Classrooms

Since 1981, Facing History's Toronto-based entity has equipped middle and high school educators in Canada with first-rate professional development that integrates the study of history and literature with ethical decision making.

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Explore our online resource on the Indian Residential Schools and their long-lasting effects on Canada's Indigenous Peoples. Since 1981, Facing History's Toronto-based entity has equipped middle and high school educators in Canada with first-rate professional development that integrates the study of history and literature with ethical decision making.

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In 1942 Hans Scholl founded the "White Rose" movement with some of his fellow medical students. Among the White Rose members were Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell. The "White Rose" movement was one of the few German groups that spoke out against Nazi genocidal policies.

Nazi tyranny and the apathy of German citizens in the face of the regime's "abominable crimes" outraged idealistic "White Rose" members. Many of them had heard about the mass murder of Polish Jews; as a soldier on the eastern front, Hans Scholl had also seen firsthand the mistreatment of Jewish forced laborers and heard of the deportation of large numbers of Poles to concentration camps.

At great risk, "White Rose" members transported and mailed mimeographed leaflets that denounced the regime. In their attempt to stop the war effort, they advocated the sabotage of the armaments industry. "We will not be silent," they wrote to their fellow students. "We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace!" Because the students were aware that only military force could end Nazi domination, they limited their aims to achieve "a renewal from within of the severely wounded German spirit."

After the German army's defeat at Stalingrad in late January 1943, the Scholls distributed pamphlets urging students in Munich to rebel. But in the next month, a university janitor who saw them with the pamphlets betrayed them to the Gestapo (German secret state police).

The regime executed Hans and Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst on February 22, 1943. Officials also eventually arrested and executed philosophy professor Kurt Huber and the rest of the "White Rose" members.

At his trial Huber remained loyal to the eighteenth century German philosopher Immanuel Kant's ethical teaching, as he concluded his defense with the words of Kant's disciple Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

And thou shalt act as if
On thee and on thy deed
Depended the fate of all Germany,
And thou alone must answer for it.

Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

Critical Thinking Questions

What pressures and motivations moved these students to action?

What avenues and methods do college students and protesters of any age have in today's societies? What risks might they face?

Further Reading

Axelrod, Toby. Hans and Sophie Scholl: German Resisters of the White Rose. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2001.

Chaussy, Ulrich, and Franz Josef Miller, editors. The White Rose: The Resistance by Students against Hitler 1942/43. München: White Rose Foundation, 1991.

Dumbach, Annette E., and Jud Newborn. Sophie Scholl and the White Rose. Oxford: Oneworld, 2006.

Forman, James D. Ceremony of Innocence. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1970.

Hanser, Richard. A Noble Treason: The Revolt of the Munich Students against Hitler. New York: Putnam, 1979.

Scholl, Hans, and Sophie Scholl. At the Heart of the White Rose: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl. New York: Harper & Row, 1987.

Scholl, Inge. The White Rose: Munich, 1942-1943. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1983.

Die Weisse Rose / The White Rose [videorecording]. Waltham, Mass.: National Center for Jewish Film, Brandeis University, 1983.

Thank you for supporting our work

We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies and the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. View the list of all donors.

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In 1942 Hans Scholl founded the "White Rose" movement with some of his fellow medical students. Among the White Rose members were Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell. The "White Rose" movement was one of the few German groups that spoke out against Nazi genocidal policies.

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Within the United States, Sophie Magdalena Scholl is not the best-known resistance fighter, but her story is a powerful one. She was a key member of the Weiße Rose (White Rose)-a resistance group run by students at the University of Munich who distributed leaflets and used graffiti to decry Nazi crimes and the political system, while calling for resistance to the Nazi state and the war. On February 22, 1943, she was beheaded for treason at just 21 years old.

Sophie was born in May 1921, the fourth of six children to an upper-middle class family in the south of Germany. Robert, her father, was mayor of Forchtenberg, an idyllic town in the northeast of the modern state of Baden-Württemberg. When Sophie was 10, the family moved to Ulm, a mid-size southern town dating back to the Middle Ages, where her father worked as state auditor and tax consultant.

After the Nazis came to power in January 1933, Sophie, along with most of her siblings, was an excited and happy follower of the National Socialist cult of youth. The teenager believed in the ideals propagated at the time. Similar to many of their contemporaries, Sophie was particularly intrigued by the focus on nature and communal experiences. She joined the BDM, the Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls) and quickly rose in their ranks. The parents, especially her father, did not like their children's' involvement in the Nazi youth groups and made no secret about it. A critic of the party from the beginning, who had raised their children firmly grounded in the Christian tradition, Robert Scholl viewed the developments in Germany and their children's interest in Nazism with growing fear and horror. Lively discussions were a daily occurrence at the dinner table, teaching the children the value of open and honest conversation-a rarity at the time.

Sophie's siblings, especially her oldest brother Hans, later to become a founding member of the Weiße Rose, also were members of non-Nazi groups of young people. These associations shared and propagated a love for nature, outdoor adventures, as well as the music, art and literature of German Romanticism. Originally seen as compatible with Nazi ideology by many, these alternative groups were slowly dissolved and finally banned by 1936. Hans remained active in one such group, however, and was arrested in 1937 along with several of the Scholl siblings. This arrest left a mark on Sophie's conscience and began the process that eventually turned her from happy supporter of the Nazi system to active resistance fighter.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland and two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany. The older Scholl brothers were sent off to fight on the front. Sophie's life in Ulm changed as well. She graduated high school in the spring of 1940 and started an apprenticeship to become a kindergarten teacher. She eventually wanted to study biology and philosophy. In order to be admitted, students had to spend a period of time working for the state in the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD; National Labor Service). Sophie's hopes that becoming a teacher would allow her to substitute for the RAD were quashed and she instead had to enter the service in the spring of 1941. She hated it. The military-like regimen and mind-numbing routine caused her to find solace in her own spirituality, guided by readings of theologian Augustine of Hippo. She wrote down her thoughts, noting that her "soul was hungry"-she longed for an autonomous life, an end to the war, and for happiness with her boyfriend Fritz Hartnagel, who was now fighting on the Eastern front. Her doubts about the regime grew.

When she finally moved to Munich to study biology and philosophy in May 1942, her brother Hans, a medical student at the same university, and some of his friends had already begun to actively question the system. Serving on the Eastern Front, they learned about the crimes committed in Poland and Russia first hand and saw the misery with their own eyes. They knew they couldn't remain quiet. Starting in June 1942, they began printing and distributing leaflets in and around Munich, calling their fellow students and the German public to action. Other members of their circle joined in the endeavor, writing four pamphlets until the fall of the same year. As a student, Sophie had seen the flyers and applauded their content as well as their authors' courage to speak truth to power. When she found out about her brother's involvement, she demanded to join the group. She did not want to stay passive anymore.

The White Rose was a small endeavor with large consequences. At its core were siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl, their fellow students Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf, Christoph Probst, and a professor of philosophy and musicology at the University of Munich, Kurt Huber. Together they published and distributed six pamphlets, first typed on a typewriter, then multiplied via mimeograph. At first, they only distributed them via mail, sending them to professors, booksellers, authors, friends and others-going through phone books for addresses and hand-writing each envelope. In the end, they distributed thousands, reaching households all over Germany. Acquiring such large amounts of paper, envelopes, and stamps at a time of strict rationing without raising suspicion was problematic, but the students managed by engaging a wide-ranging network of supporters in cities and towns as far north as Hamburg, and as far south as Vienna. These networks were also activated to distribute the pamphlets, attempting to trick the Gestapo into believing the White Rose had locations all across the country.

In reading the group's leaflets today, one cannot help but think of how chillingly accurate they were in their accusations and calls to action, and the powerful insights they provide about Nazi Germany: The third pamphlet reads:

"Our current 'state' is the dictatorship of evil. We know that already, I hear you object, and we don't need you to reproach us for it yet again. But, I ask you, if you know that, then why don't you act? Why do you tolerate these rulers gradually robbing you, in public and in private, of one right after another, until one day nothing, absolutely nothing, remains but the machinery of the state, under the command of criminals and drunkards?"

In their attempt to gain traction for the resistance and to stop the war effort, they gave clear advice and advocated sabotage of Hitler's war machine. Their fifth pamphlet stated: "And now every convinced opponent of National Socialism must ask himself how he can fight against the present 'state' in the most effective way....We cannot provide each man with the blueprint for his acts, we can only suggest them in general terms, and he alone will find the way of achieving this end: Sabotage in armament plants and war industries, sabotage at all gatherings, rallies, public ceremonies, and organizations of the National Socialist Party. Obstruction of the smooth functioning of the war machine....Try to convince all your acquaintances...of the senselessness of continuing, of the hopelessness of this war; of our spiritual and economic enslavement at the hands of the National Socialists; of the destruction of all moral and religious values; and urge them to passive resistance!"

In January 1943, the group felt empowered and hopeful. Their activism seemed to be working, rattling the authorities and sparking discussions amongst their peers. Their group was well-organized and they were about to set up even more connections to other underground resistance groups. Observing the political situation in Germany in January of 1943, Sophie and the White Rose members believed a change in the country was imminent. The German army's disastrous defeat at Stalingrad was a turning point on the Eastern Front, and voices of dissent grew louder at the University of Munich after students were publicly called out as leeches and war resisters. This encouraged them to work more boldly, distributing the flyers directly in person and writing slogans like "Down with Hitler" and "Freedom" on the walls around Munich. Their sixth-and last-pamphlet reads: "Even the most dull-witted German has had his eyes opened by the terrible bloodbath, which, in the name of the freedom and honour of the German nation, they have unleashed upon Europe, and unleash anew each day. The German name will remain forever tarnished unless finally the German youth stands up, pursues both revenge and atonement, smites our tormentors, and founds a new intellectual Europe. Students! The German people look to us! The responsibility is ours: just as the power of the spirit broke the Napoleonic terror in 1813, so too will it break the terror of the National Socialists in 1943."

Hans and Sophie distributed them at their university on February 18, for their fellow students to find walking between classes. At some point, in what we can assume was an attempt to make even more people see the flyers, Sophie pushed a stack off a railing unto the central hall. What is now an iconic scene in every movie and documentary about the group, was the moment that changed everything. The pamphlet drop was seen by a janitor, a staunch supporter of the Nazis, who had Hans and Sophie immediately arrested by the Gestapo. The draft for the seventh pamphlet was still in Hans' bag, which led to Christoph Probst's arrest the same day.

Mug shots of Sophie and Hans Scholl after their arrest by the Gestapo on February 18, 1943.

The three endured a mock trial after long and arduous interrogations. They took all blame for the White Rose's actions. This attempt to save their friends from persecution failed in the end, and Willi Graf, Alexander Schmorell, and Kurt Huber were arrested later in February and put to death shortly after.

After a half-day trial led by the infamous Roland Freisler, president of the People's Court, Hans, Sophie, and Christoph were sentenced to death for treason. Despite this horrific prospect, Sophie did not waver. Freisler asked her as the closing question whether she hadn't "indeed come to the conclusion that [her] conduct and the actions along with [her] brother and other persons in the present phase of the war should be seen as a crime against the community?" Sophie answered:

"I am, now as before, of the opinion that I did the best that I could do for my nation. I therefore do not regret my conduct and will bear the consequences that result from my conduct."

Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst were executed by guillotine on February 22, 1943.

While their deaths were only barely mentioned in German newspapers, they received attention abroad. In April, The New York Times wrote about student opposition in Munich. In June 1943, Thomas Mann, in a BBC broadcast aimed at Germans, spoke of the White Rose's actions. The text of the sixth leaflet was smuggled into the United Kingdom where they were reprinted and dropped over Germany by Allied planes in July of the same year.

The memorial for the White Rose in front of the main building of the Ludwig Maximilians University depicts the group's flyers.

In post-war Germany, the White Rose was and is revered. A myriad of schools, streets, and a prestigious award are named after individual members, the group or the siblings Scholl. Sophie's story looms especially large in the history of Ulm, my hometown. She personifies the importance of acting according to one's beliefs and of following your conscience, even in the face of great sacrifice. In our collective memory, her story reminds us to not be silent, and fight for what Sophie wrote on the back of her indictment a day before she was killed: Freiheit-Freedom.

English texts of the pamphlets are from White Rose Translation Project and The Holocaust Research Project.

Image of the indictment courtesy of Institute fuer Zeitgeschichte.

Tanja B. Spitzer, a native of Germany who came to New Orleans a little over a decade ago to study at Tulane University, is an expert on transatlantic history and cultural diplomacy.

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Sophie Scholl and the White Rose | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

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Within the United States, Sophie Magdalena Scholl is not the best-known resistance fighter, but her story is a powerful one. She was a key member of the Weiße Rose (White Rose)-a resistance group run by students at the University of Munich who distributed leaflets and used graffiti to decry Nazi crimes and the political system, while calling for resistance to the Nazi state and the war.

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Truth, Love, & Racial Literacy | Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz | TEDxPenn

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The surge of antisemitic incidents in the United States is alarming to many. Several reported incidents include graffiti using swastikas, bomb threats, vandalism and shootings, targeting Jewish Community Centers (JCC) and institutions across the country. At the Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery, a historic century-old Jewish cemetery in University City, a suburb of St. Louis, MO., vandal(s) toppled and damaged more than 170 headstones at the cemetery. A gunman armed with an assault rifle and several handguns, entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA and opened fire killing at least 11 congregants and wounding others. In the face of these incidents, it is important to reflect upon how people act as allies, advocates and activists to do something on large and small scales to make a difference.

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn about and reflect on current antisemitic incidents, understand how people and groups can make a difference, and explore the various ways different people and groups can act as allies, advocates and activists in order to enact change.

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Antisemitic Incidents: Being an Ally, Advocate and Activist

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The surge of antisemitic incidents in the United States is alarming to many. Several reported incidents include graffiti using swastikas, bomb threats, vandalism and shootings, targeting Jewish Community Centers (JCC) and institutions across the country. At the Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery, a historic century-old Jewish cemetery in University City, a suburb of St.