Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust: Exploring an Enduring Culture Through Music
What was the Holocaust, and how has Jewish culture endured before, during, and after it?
How to Use This Lesson
*A note on pacing: This lesson carries more historical content and reading than a typical Harmony lesson. Depending on your students and schedule, plan for up to two weeks rather than one. A companion student packet accompanies the slides, giving students the text in front of them to read closely, annotate, and return to. Students can respond to the journal prompts in their packet or in their journal. This is a Harmony Student Wellness lesson, a music-centered social-emotional learning lesson designed to be taught across multiple sessions, culminating in an arts-based project. This lesson can be taught in isolation or as part of the larger Harmony Student Wellness program. For more support on implementation, see the Implementation Guide on the program page.
Essential Question
What was the Holocaust, and how has Jewish culture endured before, during, and after it?
Objectives
Mastery Objective
- Students will be able to describe what the Holocaust was and analyze how Jewish culture endured before, during, and after it by creating an original work of art honoring those who survived and those who were lost.
Day 1 - Students will:
- Listen to “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS
- Examine the diversity of Jewish life in Europe before the Holocaust
- Trace how centuries of antisemitism and scapegoating escalated into Nazi persecution
Day 2 - Students will:
- Listen to “Conflict Resolution” by Lawrence
- Define three core Jewish values (hesed, avoda, and raḥmanut)
- Identify how they were carried across generations through family, testimony, and daily practice.
Day 3 - Students will:
- Listen to “Dance Me to the End of Love” by Leonard Cohen
- Confront the scale of the Holocaust through survivor testimony
- Examine how Jewish prisoners used poetry and visual art to preserve hope
Day 4 - Students will:
- Watch a clip of the documentary, “Fillmore: The Last Days”
- Explore how survivors rebuilt their lives after liberation
- Identify the Jewish values at work in that rebuilding
Arts-Based Activity - Students will:
- Design an original Fillmore-style concert poster, choosing an artist and naming a concert that honors those who survived and those who were lost in the Holocaust.
Background
In this lesson, students will explore the history and enduring culture of Jewish people before, during, and after the Holocaust. They will examine Jewish life and identity in prewar Europe, trace how centuries of antisemitism escalated into Nazi persecution, and confront the scale of the Holocaust through survivor testimony. Along the way, students will learn three core Jewish values, hesed, avoda, and raḥmanut, and see how they carried through generations and helped survivors rebuild their lives after liberation. Through a visual art activity, students will design an original concert poster honoring those who survived and those who were lost.
Disclaimers
This lesson includes real accounts of antisemitism, violence, and loss during the Holocaust. Some of what students read and hear may be difficult.
Encourage students to ask for a break, journal about a neutral topic, or ask to talk to someone after the lesson if needed.
Materials
Required for all lessons:
- Student Journals or copies of Handout - Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust Student Packet
- Art Supplies
Preparation
If desired, prepare copies of Handout - Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust Student Packet for each student.