Iran attacks Israel. I thought I understood that this is part of the new reality we are living in - but I did not.
I realized that when I saw the real-time pictures from Israel this week. The camera was trying to capture the work of the Israeli air defense against the evening sky and I was writing messages to my friends: “I'm thinking of you.” Their answers came back every second. Everyone was connected and sent pictures from the panic room, the shelter or the sky over the Holy Land. What a nightmare.
As I wrote in my blog entry back in April, I grew up in a divided Germany. That Berlin would possibly be attacked from the Russian side was a fact we were always aware of - even at my home in faraway Hamburg. That they would actually do it was a completely different matter. That's how it is for me with Iran and Israel. It was always clear that Iran could attack Israel. That it would do it... still makes me shake my head in disbelief.
Shortly after the attack, I sat in an online event organized by https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/institutes-centres/the-parkes-institute I listened to the incredible Prof. Dr. John K. Roth, who managed to say so much in so few words. He summed up his views on antisemitism and the world as it is today precisely and eloquently - a pleasure to listen to a colleague who manages to share a lifetime of knowledge and insight in such a way. Publications – John K. Roth (johnkroth.com)
I had already attended an event the week before on the subject of the definition of antisemitism. Dr. Kennth S. Stern https://bcsh.bard.edu/kenneth-stern/
an accomplished colleague, once again explained the background to the IHRA's definition of antisemitism, which he helped to develop and is now internationally recognized. https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/arbeitsdefinition-antisemitismus
I also heard two other definitions that are currently in circulation, but they didn't convince me. The speakers also failed to convince me with their explanations. Since when is hate context-dependent? I really wonder how you come up with something like that.
I mean, if people make misogynistic and therefore man-hating comments, can they also point out that they should be understood in context? I don't think so!
Hate remains hate, it's as simple as that.
And then we are facing the anniversary of the massacre on October 7, 2023. I would like to skip that day. The Berlin police is already reporting a “dynamic situation” (https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Polizei-erwartet-dynamische-Lage-am-7-Oktober-article25271409.html). I hope everyone is prepared, but I'm afraid not. How can you prepare for a day like that?
I also sent out my first Newsletter! I did a lot of advertising on my own behalf. Spreading information takes a lot of time, but it's worth it. Thanks for the positive feedback from my subscribers. Thank you for your support.
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Finally, I can announce that a lot is currently happening on the online learning platform! A new video of mine has already been uploaded. These videos are a little different from the ones I usually present here. This video is an instructional video on how to use certain methods that are needed in history classes. Educators call them skills. In this case, the skill “Analyzing a monument” is practiced. I have written instructions here on how to do this. Pupils can print the instructions. Additionally, I wrote a video script to explain the instructions in a clip. You can find the video here: https://learnattack.de/geschichte/anleitungen-klasse-9-10#video-wie-du-ein-denkmal-interpretierst
Below the video (as you can see on the screenshot) you can find the following: Schritt-für-Schritt-Anleitung zum Video Zeige im Fenster Drucken (which means: show and print).
These videos and instructions are very important for German history lessons and also for reaching the Lernziele (learning objectives). Kids need to gain knowledge about both: content/historical facts plus methods and skills.