A successful event entitled “Education and Holocaust” took place on Thursday, February 6th, at the “Iakovos Kampanellis” Museum at the Sivitanidios Public School of Trades & Vocations.
Speakers were the Secretary General of Religions of the Ministry of Education Mr. George Kalantzis, the Director of the Jewish Museum of Greece and archaeologist Ms. Zanet Battinou, the Professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the Athens University Mr. Gerasimos Kouzelis and the General Director of Sevitanidios School Ms. Rania Kalantzi. The audience was deeply touched by the speech of Mr. Marios Soussis, president of the Association of Descendants of the Holocaust (2nd generation), who referred to his personal experiences from the period of occupation.
The event was honored by the presence the Archimandrite Simeon Venetsianos, Director of the Office of Youth of the Archdiocese of Athens, representing Archbishop Hieronymus, the former Minister Kostas Gavroglou, the vice-mayor for socio-political issues of the Municipality of Kallithea Ms. Anna Giannakou Paschou, the president of the Executive Committee of Sivitanidios School Mr. George Kotonias, member of the board Mr. Nikolaos Moumouris, as well as students, teachers and friends.
The event took place in the framework of the exhibition of the Jewish Museum “The Holocaust of the Greek Jews” hosted by the Sivitanidios School. The topic discussed at both a theoretical and a practical level was how education can help to avoid the recurrence of such inconceivable barbaric phenomena in the history of mankind. As Adorno wrote, “every debate about the ideals of education is trivial and inconsequential compared to this single ideal: never again Auschwitz”. Particular reference was made to the value and importance of enhancing the democratic process and social awareness to combat violent racist phenomena, which are on the rise again.
