On Wednesday 16th September, we held our annual in-person CPD evening for primary and secondary teachers. Like previous years, this was a fantastic opportunity to not only share what we can offer but also to hear from teachers about what is getting taught in classrooms and how a visit to us could most benefit them.
The workshop explored our resources for learning about Judaism and Scotland’s Jewish history. Teachers had the chance to tour the Synagogue and to discover in detail our learning resources covering Judaism, the WW2 period and Migration & Empire.
Our Manager, Kerry Patterson, opened the event with a presentation on the history of the Garnethill Synagogue and an overview of the Centre’s work. Kerry then introduced the range of sessions we provide for school groups:
- Synagogue Discovery – an engaging introduction for pupils of all ages to Jewish religion and culture, alongside the opportunity to explore Scotland’s oldest synagogue.
- Refugee Learning Kits – three individual kits focusing on people who escaped Nazi persecution and built new lives in Scotland. Each kit draws on powerful primary source materials from the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre, also based on-site. Teachers can choose the kits that best fits their class’s learning focus, whether on resilience, identity, or the refugee experience.
- Immigration: Making a Life in the Gorbals – an in-depth kit that links closely to the Migration and Empire topic in Higher History, using original archival material to bring Scotland’s migration story to life.
We also introduced our new learning kit which will be part of our Holocaust and WW2 resources. This kit will officially be launched in January 2027, however this workshop was a great opportunity to share what we had been working on and get feedback from teachers. Working alongside primary and secondary teachers is essential to the work we do, so we’re always grateful whenever they can take the time to share ideas.
After the presentation and teas, coffees and mini bagels, the group was then guided upstairs to the Garnethill Synagogue. Standing in the Victorian prayer hall, teachers had the chance to connect directly with the history they’d had just heard about, and to ask questions.
Back in the Study Centre, we displayed our learning kits for teachers to explore first-hand. This gave everyone time to engage directly with the materials and to see how these resources can enrich classroom learning.
In just two hours we packed in history, resources, and discussion and we were delighted by the positive feedback we received.
Sign up to our mailing list for updates on upcoming events, new resources for schools, and the latest from the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre: schools@sjhc.org.uk
