The Robert H. Jackson Center is launching a three-year educational program to explore moral questions raised by the Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials; and their ongoing impact today.
The Youth Confronting History program is for middle and high school students in Western New York, Northwestern Pennsylvania, and the surrounding region.
The program opens with a keynote address by Ellen Dubie, a second-generation Holocaust survivor. It will take place from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 30 at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown. The keynote is open to all middle and high school students, whether or not their school is enrolled in the full program.
There is no cost for students or teachers to participate thanks to funding from the Arnold and Jill Bellowe Family Foundation.
Ellen Dubie was born in Boston and moved to Buffalo nine years ago. She is a former board member of the Human Rights Campaign and serves as Program Administrator of the Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program at the University at Buffalo. Her father, Stephan H. Lewy (1925-2021), was born in Berlin and grew up in the Auerbach Orphanage, where he hid in the orphanage’s synagogue during Kristallnacht. He escaped on a Kindertransport to France in 1939, reached the United States in 1942, and was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943. For years he spoke about his experiences to audiences in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Western New York.
Through lectures, hands-on workshops, and creative student projects, Youth Confronting History aims to help young people build a deeper understanding of justice, moral courage, and their own role in shaping a more just future. Each year of the program centers on a theme:
- Year One: The Power of Voice examines the words, art, and music created by young people during the Holocaust, and how personal testimony can challenge injustice and inspire moral reflection.
- Year Two: Law, Justice, and Moral Courage looks at the Nuremberg Trials and the work of Robert H. Jackson, exploring how law can uphold moral principles and how individuals can act courageously within legal systems.
- Year Three: From Memory to Action connects the lessons of the Holocaust and Nuremberg to present-day human rights challenges, equipping students to be active, informed citizens who stand against injustice.
Each year follows the same structure: a fall keynote lecture, winter workshops in subjects such as literature, art, history, law, and civic engagement, and a spring Student Showcase where participants present original creative or research projects.
Teachers are strongly encouraged to register their classes for the full Youth Confronting History experience, including the winter workshops and spring Student Showcase. Program details and registration are available at roberthjackson.org/youth-confronting-history.
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