Japanese Holocaust educator honored by Palm Beach district

At a time when anti-Asian incidents have been rampant in the United States, a Holocaust educator originally from Japan has been named the School District of Palm Beach County’s Teacher of the Year. South Florida Jewish leaders have also expressed support for Asian Americans.

Toshimi Abe-Janiga, who teaches Holocaust studies at Riviera Beach Preparatory and Achievement Academy for students in grades 10-12, said she was thrilled and overwhelmed with the award from the Palm Beach school district.

“I didn’t really expect it, but I really appreciate the district’s decision that they really care about Holocaust education,” Abe-Janiga said. “It’s so relevant today with what’s happening in this world right now, especially in the United States.”

Abe-Janiga, who has taught in Palm Beach County since 2006, is now the district’s candidate for Teacher of the Year for the state of Florida. She has been a William T. Dwyer Award finalist on multiple occasions, has been honored in the past with a Gutterman Family Outstanding Holocaust Educator Award by Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Holocaust and Human Rights and has been named U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow.

When asked what inspired her to teach Holocaust studies, Abe-Janiga said that approximately 15 years ago, one of her students showed her Elie Wiesel’s book “Night.”

“He said I have to use this book in class,” she continued. “I hadn’t read the book yet at that time, but I then read the book and I was so impressed. It was powerful, and at the same time I was so impressed with my students’ response. I then wanted to teach the subject, but I didn’t have so much knowledge of the Holocaust at the time.”

Abe-Janiga, who also teaches language arts, started teaching the Holocaust as a topic in her subject area. She has been to Holocaust education workshops at FAU and other places.

“I’m still learning because there’s so many things to know as it’s very complex,” she said.

As someone of Japanese origin teaching Holocaust studies, Abe-Janiga feels that what happened to Jews in Nazi Germany is a relevant topic today, especially with the wave of incidents against Asians.

“You have to reevaluate what’s happening right now,” she said. “Asians are being scapegoated for the pandemic, and every time something happens, I always intentionally introduce it to the students and have them analyze what they would do with this situation and how they would take action.”

Abe-Janiga continued, “Most of my students are African American, so they know what discrimination is, and they really respond [to her teachings] very well.”

Abe-Janiga explained how she feels Asians, Blacks and Jews can learn from each other’s plights regarding racism and anti-Semitism.

“The one thing we can learn from Holocaust education is that we have to tell the truth,” she noted. “My students are very responsive to letters, journals or somebody’s story, especially a Holocaust survivor’s story, which is an amazing powerful story.”

As Asian Americans deal with the wave of incidents against them, Brian Siegal, the American Jewish Committee’s Miami and Broward director, said, “Asian Americans alone cannot confront this wave of xenophobic hate, and the hate that now is targeted at Asian Americans too quickly turns to others and to all Americans.”

“We as Jews understand that silence at times like these is not an option,” Siegal continued. “American Jews will stand with Asian Americans as we have historically and into the future. Jewish communities across the country must discuss how best to support our Asian-American friends.”

Siegal added, “We must speak up if we hear racist rhetoric.”

“We must intervene in and report discrimination,” he noted. “We must work with partners to address public misconceptions, and with local, state and federal governments to ensure a spotlight on discrimination.”

Yael Hershfield, interim director for the Anti-Defamation League’s Florida Region based in Boca Raton, said, “We are united with all of our Asian American and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters in standing up against hate, xenophobia and violence.”

“We know that bias-motivated incidents strike fear into entire communities – and the anxiety in the Asian American community is palpable,” Hershfield continued. “Hateful incidents against the AAPI community have significantly increased in the U.S., and here in Florida, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Hershfield added, “In May, we will celebrate both Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”

“Our communities are all too familiar with the impact of scapegoating,” she noted. “Let’s take this opportunity to learn from one another and celebrate together each other’s histories.”