On Wednesday, February 28th, the launch of the “Never Forget” Pedagogical Kit created by the Association of French Teachers Victoria [AFTV], took place at the ARK Center in Melbourne.
Various representatives from nearby schools and universities were present to attend the presentation of the two kits (student and teacher) which will be available to institutions offering French language education. These free educational tools add to the documentary realized a few months earlier by the AFTV. Indeed, the creation of these tools were made possible following the initial meeting of Myriam Boisbouvier-Wylie with Ether Wise and Vivian Parry of the Association of Children Holocaust Survivors, in November 2022. You can refer to our previous article here.
The ‘Never Forget’ Pedagogical Kit aims to raise awareness among students about events related to World War II, specifically the oppression of the Jewish population, while also improving their skills in French. It is divided into four different parts: before the war, the occupation, escape, and post-war, offering more than 64 activities for two different levels.
Nyah Seelig-Schattner, Lucie Dickens, Esther Wise, S.E M. Pierre-André Imbert, Myriam Boisbouvier Wylie
Both the documentary and the tools were created around the real life story of 99-year-old Holocaust survivor and French-speaking, Esther Wise.
It was a poignant moment when Lucie Dickens, the Vice President of the AFTV, reflected on Esther’s life and destiny. After fleeing from the Gestapo for most of her adolescence, Esther left France for Australia after the end of World War II, as an orphan, without any English nor any money. Lucie emphasized that besides improving their French skills, students will now have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of this crucial moment in the French history.
His Excellency Mr. Pierre-Andre Imbert, Ambassador of France to Australia, was very moved and spoke of the importance of acknowledging the past, citing Elie Wiesel: “to forget would not be only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time”.
HE Mr. Pierre-Andre Imbert
Myriam Boisbouvier-Wylie, MC of the event
Esther’s family gathered alongside the Ambassador and Myriam Boisbouvier Wylie to officially inaugurate the launch of the “Never Forget” pedagogical kit.
This launch was noted in the local press, with the Herald Sun writing a piece on it.
Find a podcast of SBS Francais about this subject just here