Spaces of salvation: children survivors of the Shoah Towards a pedagogy for the future

Abstract

During the Nazi-fascist dictatorship, the Shoah occurred, a meticulously planned and scientifically executed extermination, resulting from a perverse social engineering aimed at the annihilation of specific population groups. Alongside the tragically ‘lost’ children, forever removed from human society, we can consider the ‘saved’, those fortunate enough to continue their lives, rebuild families, and revitalize humanity where it seemed lost. They represent the hidden, the emigrated, the survivors who encourage us to reflect on the salvific and transformative power of education, particularly in its ethical dimension that is substantiated by behaviors requiring critical and unavoidable responsible choices.

This paper aims to highlight the necessity of educating for resistance and renewal: the childhood of the Shoah allows us to reflect on a pedagogy for the future that embodies commitment and hope, capable of addressing the emergencies of our time.