Holocaust Study Program for Educators

Credit: inSIGHT Through Education

(Press Release) PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL  – inSIGHT Through Education, a Palm Beach County-based non-profit focused on Holocaust and genocide education, funded seven Palm Beach County educators for the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous' (JFR) exclusive 2025 European Study Program. 

This 10-day journey across the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Denmark immersed participants in over 20 of the most significant Holocaust and resistance sites in Europe, offering insights into the history behind the Holocaust and World War II. 

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Founded in 1986, The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) began by providing financial support to eight Holocaust rescuers. Over time, that number grew to more than 3,600 Righteous Gentiles across 34 countries. While the number of living rescuers has naturally declined with time, the JFR remains unwavering in its promise to support each one for the rest of their lives, honoring them as moral and ethical exemplars of humanity. 

Beyond direct aid to rescuers, the JFR is deeply committed to Holocaust education through its acclaimed national teacher training programs. The cornerstone of this work is the Summer Institute for Teachers. This rigorous academic experience immerses participants in the complex historiography of the Holocaust and equips them with powerful tools to teach its lessons. Graduates of the Summer Institute are designated as Alfred Lerner Fellows.

The European Study Program—open exclusively to nominated Alfred Lerner Fellows—offers a rare, in-depth educational field experience led by world-renowned scholars. This immersive program offers access to unique sites, diverse perspectives, and rich historical insights that set it apart from other Holocaust education initiatives.

Out of only 12 educator spots offered nationwide, inSIGHT Through Education secured eight for Palm Beach County educators. This achievement underscores inSIGHT's trusted partnership with the JFR and highlights the caliber of Palm Beach County educators. As one of only 13 JFR Centers of Excellence nationwide, inSIGHT is uniquely positioned to provide South Florida educators with exceptional professional development experiences that deepen their understanding of Holocaust history and its relevance today.

The immersive itinerary included trips to four European countries.

The Netherlands, where educators explored Anne Frank’s hiding place and family apartment, the Jewish Historical Museum, the Portuguese Synagogue, the Dutch Holocaust Museum, and former Nazi deportation centers.

Germany, where educators visited the towns of Osnabrück and Flensburg as well as the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where participants saw mass graves and a rescue bus used to save lives.

And finally, Denmark & Sweden, where educators visited the execution grounds of Danish resistance fighters and saw churches where Jews hid in the rafters and attics before they walked to the coast where boats waited to take them to safety in Sweden. 

"inSIGHT is proud to give our educators rare access to history, on the ground and alongside esteemed Holocaust scholars like Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt. Standing in Anne Frank’s home made the Holocaust feel deeply personal—a powerful reminder of what’s at stake when hate is left unchallenged," said Kelly Warsaw, President and CEO of inSIGHT Through Education. “When our teachers return with these firsthand experiences, they bring history to life for thousands of students across Palm Beach County—not as something distant or confined to textbooks, but as a human story that still speaks to us today."