That education and exposure to various ideas expand one’s view and teach them to think critically and independently is already well understood. Award-winning journalist and a Europe’s Futures Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, Amanda Coakley explains how a new approach to education in Romania affords students a better understanding of why the study of history can give a better grasp of the present. Coakley emphasizes that exploring various types of histories, particularly those that have been untold, hidden, or deemed unimportant, can contribute to restitution and justice for marginalized communities. Particularly a new course called the Holocaust and Jewish History constitutes a “key to shaping future Romanian citizens, ones able to think critically about the past and ask questions that push them toward the truth.”
Adriana Radu, who teaches the history of Jews and the Holocaust, in the library of the Iasi National College in Romania. (Andreea Câmpeanu)
Here is a bit of this history: “Jewish history is hidden in plain sight in Iasi. Before World War II, over 43,500 Jews lived in the city, and there were approximately 146 synagogues. Today, only 326 Jews and two synagogues remain. This is not only the result of the Holocaust but also due to the “sale” of Jews to Israel during the communist period. Hiding antisemitism under the guise of diversifying the Romanian economy away from dependence on Moscow, Ceausescu allowed 2,000 Jews a year to immigrate to Israel in return for a fee paid by the Israeli government. The average price for a person depended on age, education and profession, scholars say, and varied from $2,500 to $3,500 per individual. The would-be emigrants received nothing; all the money was given to the Romanian government. In total, around 40,000 Jews left the country during Ceausescu’s rule. Today, only 8,900 Jews live in Romania, according to the World Jewish Congress — just over 1 percent of the prewar population.”
Is this course enough to reclaim Jewish spaces across the country? Read Coakley’s article here: In Romania, Students See Parallels Between Today and the Pre-Holocaust Era – New Lines Magazine
