Fenwick High School Educator Returns from Holocaust Education Program in Poland
Julie Klein, a teacher at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, has returned from Poland after participating in the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous' (JFR) 2026 European Study Program, an immersive educational experience designed to deepen educators' understanding of the Holocaust and strengthen how they teach its history in the classroom.
Klein was one of 14 middle and high school teachers and Holocaust education professionals from five states selected for the program. Through lectures led by Holocaust scholars and visits to historic sites across Poland, participants explored the history of the Holocaust while reflecting on ways to bring those lessons back to their students.
Accompanied by noted Holocaust historian Robert Jan van Pelt, participants visited significant locations including the former Warsaw Ghetto, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Treblinka, Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Chełmno nad Nerem, and other memorials and historical sites connected to the Holocaust.
Throughout the program, educators examined the historical, cultural, and human impact of the Holocaust while engaging in discussions about preserving its history for future generations.
"As we continue to move further away from the Holocaust, it is more important to empower our educators to better teach their students about the Holocaust," said Stanlee Stahl, Executive Vice President of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. "By visiting the places where these complex events occurred, educators are better able to connect to what they are teaching, making them more effective teachers."
The European Study Program is designed to provide teachers with firsthand historical context that can enhance classroom instruction and encourage meaningful conversations about history, human rights, and moral responsibility.
As Klein returns to Fenwick High School, she brings with her new perspectives and experiences that will help shape Holocaust education for students in the Oak Park community.
The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous continues to support Holocaust education while providing financial assistance to aging Righteous Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews during World War II. Since its founding, the organization has provided more than $46.5 million in aid to rescuers living in countries around the world.
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