I have worked alongside Debbie in her capacity as an educator at The National Holocaust Centre and Museum for over five years. Debbie is a very competent educator and has this incredible ability to ensure students understand the complexities of the Holocaust. Debbie has a calm demeanour, and this gentle approach ensures that students always feel comfortable asking any question. I enjoy working alongside Debbie as I feel I always learn something new.
Debbie gave the congregation last night one of its most memorable events. The way she brought out the history, the personal effects of the Holocaust through the life of Ruth was wonderful, so vivid and moving, each of us present were moved, often to tears. And the children who participated played their parts with understanding, so that they too will have learnt what it meant to be a Jew. And in time it will indeed be a wonderful tool for teaching the Holocaust to a wider audience.
We did a drama activity and that helped me because using my body as well as using my listening skills really helps me to understand more clearly. We looked through the eyes of someone specific instead of lots of different people which made it a lot easier to understand. The day was great!.
Debbie had been our tour guide at the National Holocaust Centre just three weeks earlier, therefore the children recognised her and had already established a relationship with her.
The poetry session made links back to Leo’s Journey by reminding the children of some of the anti-Jewish laws and she discussed The Night of Broken Glass again with the children. which they had been introduced to on the tour. The session provided much more of an insight into the Jewish religion, which was not really a focus at the Holocaust Centre.
This session helped to bring the learning back to the present day from the 1940s, whilst still making the clear link to the Holocaust.
This session leads perfectly into further RE sessions about Judaism (the Torah, synagogues, daily life etc).
The children could use Debbie’s example of a narrative poem to write a poem of their own based on a journey in their own lives. The children seemed moved by the fact that Debbie herself had links back to the Holocaust through the Torah Scrolls.
The circle activity where the children had to add gesture to a line of the poem worked particularly well. The gestures helped the children to understand the meaning and Debbie explained any unknown words/phrases clearly.
I joined the Geography PGCE course at Keele University in 2012, excited about taking the first steps on a new career path. I expected some theory on pedagogy and guidance on classroom management but what I got was vastly more. For this, I owe thanks to Debbie Moss, my course tutor. Debbie was a great advocate for this vocation, a leader by example. Every session was varied, inspiring and above all CREATIVE. This is exceptional given the breadth of the course covered pedagogy, Geographical knowledge, critical thinking, and academic writing. It’s the creative activities which stay strongly in my memories today: painting, acting, debating, role play, storytelling, poetry and a plethora of engaging tasks that would ignite inquisitiveness.
Debbie’s writing is evocative with vivid characters, palpable scenes, and solid historical detail. Her ability to conceive large-scale works in specific cultural contexts is impeccable. She works with great discipline both on and off the page.
Since marrying into a Jewish family Debbie has been keen to ensure that she herself, as well as her three children, have been immersed in Jewish culture and learning. Although she has never converted herself, Debbie has contributed to the educational and cultural life of the Synagogue especially through her research, writing and educational work relating to our Czech Torah scrolls. These scrolls survived the Holocaust. Debbie is passionate to bring to a wider audience the universal stories inherent in the story of these scrolls, as well as supporting young people in helping them to understand the significance of the Torah in the Jewish tradition. This in turn will help young people to develop understanding and respect towards the diversity of Jewish culture and identity. Debbie is keen to ensure that this is done in such a way that young people understand the importance of reflecting on their own identity and respect the diversity of their own religious and cultural backgrounds.
Debbie’s poetry provides young people with a new lens through which to consider the events of the Holocaust. Through her poems we are encouraged to think about the subject in a different way, confronting the complexities of the past and approaching the issues from new perspectives. Through poetry we can take a more reflective look at this history and apply critical thinking to the concepts presented – choices, diversity, dignity and different perspectives – and consider their implications for our own understanding of the Holocaust.