Visiting the Centre

The Holocaust Centre welcomes between six and ten student groups every week. After each visit, the students are encouraged to write down their thoughts and reactions to what they have seen and heard. There are some typical reactions:

I left the museum feeling very angry, but also I felt I had released some of the tension and bad feeling I had inside me from reading at school about the horrors. My favourite part of the museum was the garden. It had a sense of sadness, but was also very calm. The roses that people dedicated and the messages, such as 'For those who have no one to remember them', stayed fixed in my mind. I don't think I will ever forget my visit.
Sinead Lawler, Age 15

Everything I read and heard at Beth Shalom was purely a shock, about what
one person could do to another. When I got to my home, to my relatives, they
asked, "What was it like?" and I replied "Unexplainable!
Simon Moorhouse, Age 15.


I am very grateful to be able to visit this Centre, which brings to life my teacher's endless facts about the horrors of the Second World War.
Alex Mitchell, Age 15




My visit to Beth Shalom made me come to the reality that the Holocaust was not just an extremely sad story, these horrific tales are about abuse and discrimination that affected the lives of millions. It also made me see that this discrimination is still around today, in our everyday lives; we ignore it or may even join in, but it really mustn't go on. I hope to make a very conscious decision to make sure that I myself never become even a small part of discrimination against others.
Stevie Brown, Age 15

School Visits

During the school year, the Centre dedicates as much of its time as is practically possible to school visits. Students have the opportunity to engage in a rare and important educational experience that will both fulfil curriculum requirements and stimulate their thoughts for the future.

A typical school visit involves:

• An introductory talk outlining the programme, the role of the Centre and issues arising from the Holocaust. This is supported by a short film.

• Depending on group size, the party may divide into smaller units. It is expected that each student will:
  • Visit the memorial gardens, a place of commemoration and reflection.
  • Explore the Holocaust exhibition.
  • Attend a presentation and discussion on a powerful topic of contemporary importance.
    
  
  
• There are a number of options for taking lunch. Packed lunches may be ordered or students may purchase a variety of reasonably priced snacks and filled rolls from the coffee shop. If they wish, they may bring their own lunches to be eaten in an area set aside for this purpose.
  
  
• Students will be supported with a visit workbook that encourages them to focus on important aspects of the gardens and exhibition and leads them to consider crucial issues relating to the causes of persecution and genocide.
  
  
• Survivor talk: The students will be gathered together to listen to the testimony of a survivor. Time will be set aside for questions and discussion.
  
  
• The day ends with a time for personal reflection and recording of thoughts. If time does not allow for this on site, we hope that the feedback forms will be completed at a later date and returned to the Centre.
  
  
• The times of each activity can be adjusted to the pupils' needs and your school's arrival and departure times. Speaker times are relatively fixed to an approximate starting time of 12.30-1.00 and 2.00-2.30 finish. This is to facilitate speakers' travel arrangements, but can be adjusted if sufficient notice is given.
  

We want our visitors to learn from the Holocaust and be stimulated to consider the implications of past events for the world in which we live. Our programme and our speakers strongly emphasise the need to think and act upon the challenges that currently face us.

Some schools may prefer an even greater focus upon contemporary issues and the citizenship curriculum. Citizenship Days, aiming to challenge preconceptions and widen the perspective to global issues of rights and responsibilities, are also available.

Other subjects, such as English or Art, will find that the Centre supports their curriculum and provides a thought-provoking and motivating environment.

Please contact the Centre for further details.

A Day at The Holocaust Centre

School Visitor Enquiry

Please email the following details if you would like to book a school visit:

Your name, postal address, phone number and fax number.
Number of students in your group.
Student level.
Preferred date and several alternatives.

Click here to email

Please note: This is just an enquiry. A representative from the Centre's administration office will contact you to arrange further details of your visit. Please also be aware that we may not be able to give you the exact date you request as demand is very high.