Challenges regarding the educational journeys of Israeli teenagers to Poland. Can P4C help teachers tackle them?

Abstract

Is it imperative to travel to Poland to understand what happened during the Holocaust? Don’t these journeys inspire participants with strong nationalist feelings at the expense of more universal values of tolerance and humanity? In other words, don’t these expeditions sometimes become a lever for cultivating pure nationalism, precisely due to the heightened “Avenging Victim” self-awareness emanating from the emotional experience? Acknowledging this strong current of opinion and without ignoring these genuine risks, the article argues in favor of the necessity of these educational journeys, deeming that when it comes to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and its lessons to the younger generation, there is no substitute for visiting the places where the Holocaust occurred, for the impression that such a visit leaves on the participants, and for the enhancement of knowledge and understanding of the subject. Further, it expresses hope that philosophy for children can bring a most welcome thinking skills-based support to this latter view.