A high school English teacher in Cullman has been awarded the 2024 Alfred Lerner Fellow for her teachings in Holocaust Studies. With her award, Robin Cook was invited to attend the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous’ Alfred Lerner Fellow Summer Program.
The five-day course in New Jersey discussed new ways of introducing and teaching students about the Holocaust. Participants received different lectures from various Holocaust scholars throughout this learning experience.
22 teachers were selected to win this award and to attend the program, and Cook was the only one from Alabama who won and attended the program.
Teachers selected for the program must be English or social studies teachers at the middle or high school level, have taught for at least five years, are at least five years from retirement and currently teach the Holocaust in their classroom.
Cook went into teaching as a second career. She said was inspired to start teaching about the Holocaust after getting involved with the Alabama Holocaust Education Center.
“I think the inspiration is to remind us that to never forget this did happen, and I think it was just something that was interesting,” said Cook. “How do these things happen, and how do we how do we stop it? How do we teach a better way? How do we teach love, not hate? It also became a personal mention to help kids, help society do better.”
One of the things Cook said she learned from the program was the importance of using sources to back up her teachings.
“One thing it did is to make sure I'm using good methodological practices. That I'm focus[ed] on prime sources, eyewitnesses, survivor testimony, diaries, news articles, maps and really focus in on those things,” she explained. “But also translate numbers to people. We can say over six million people died, and it's horrifying, but when you start to bring in diaries, survivor testimonies, it makes it real. It takes it from a number and makes it a reality.”
In the future, Cook said she hopes to teach a class that is devoted to Holocaust Studies.
The 2024 Alfred Lerner Fellow was presented to 22 teachers from the U.S. and Poland. Cook was the only teacher selected who is from Alabama. The award is presented by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) in memory of Alfred Lerner, the founding chairman and chief executive officer of MBNA Corporation, who died in October 2002.
Lerner was a long-time advisor and supporter of JFR programs and activities. His deep commitment to the work of JFR and his special interest in the field of Holocaust education led to the seminar being endowed in his name.
The JFR continues its work of providing monthly financial assistance to aged and needy Righteous Gentiles. Since its founding, the JFR has provided more than $45 million to some 3,600 aged and needy rescuers in 34 countries.
Its Holocaust teacher-education program has become a standard for teaching the history of the Holocaust and educating teachers and students about the significance of the righteous as moral and ethical exemplars. For more information, click here.
