Abington social studies teacher named Alfred Lerner Fellow for Holocaust instruction, joins Summer Institute

William Penderghest, a social studies teacher at Abington Senior High School, has been named a 2024 Alfred Lerner Fellow on behalf of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR).

Among other courses, Mr. Penderghest teaches a class called “Holocaust, Genocide, & Crimes against Humanity” at Abington.

Mr. Penderghest, along with 21 middle and high school teachers and Holocaust center staff from eight states and Poland, participated in JFR’s Summer Institute for Teachers from June 22 through June 26.

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.

The group delved into the history of the Holocaust and discussed new teaching techniques for introducing the subject into classrooms, according to Israel365News.com.

The seminar featured the following Holocaust scholars: Doris Bergen of the University of Toronto; Volker Berghahn of Columbia University; Lawrence R. Douglas of Amherst College; Steven Field of New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine; Daniel Green of Northwestern University; Avinoam Patt of New York University; Richards Plavnieks of Florida Southern College; Robert Jan van Pelt of the University of Waterloo; Edward B. Westermann of Texas A&M University; renowned Holocaust historian and exhibition curator Paul Salmons; renowned author Alexandra Zapruder and American Jewish Committee U.S. Director for Combatting Antisemitism Holly Huffnagle.

For a list of Mr. Penderghest’s curriculum from the 2023-24 school year, you can visit his website.

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Photo: Israel365News.com