Teacher appointed to state Holocaust commission

NEW LONDON — A Huron County teacher has earned statewide recognition for her work. Gov. Mike DeWine recently appointed Misty Ebinger, a social studies teacher at New London High School, to the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission, making her the first K–12 educator to serve on the panel. The commission, created in 2020, advises state leaders and promotes Holocaust and genocide education across the state. It follows Ebinger's creation of a course on the Holocaust and genocide studies at New London High School. In April, the commission also named Ebinger the 2025 Genocide Educator of the Year. "It's a real honor," Ebinger said. "The governor has a personal interest in Holocaust and genocide education. He founded this commission to make sure these stories are not forgotten, and I'm humbled to be a part of that work." Creating the course Ebinger first proposed a Holocaust and genocide studies course in 2010. She said school administrators backed her immediately. "When I originally went to them about the idea of creating this course there was an immediate 'yes, go for it,'" she said."They saw that there was student interest in the course and that I had done a lot of my own study on it and reached out to people who have taught this kind of class in the past." What began as a one-semester elective has grown into a full-year curriculum. Students spend half the year studying the Holocaust and the rest examining genocides in Armenia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Myanmar and China. "Half my year is on the Holocaust and I could spend the entire year on the Holocaust because it is the most documented (genocide) in history," Ebinger said. "There's just so much to learn." Teaching with care The class uses Echoes and Reflections, a curriculum developed by the Anti-Defamation League, Yad Vashem and the USC Shoah Foundation. One of its guiding principles is "safely in, safely out," which emphasizes careful preparation before introducing difficult subject matter and space for reflection afterward. "At the end of each week we sit and journal in silence for a good 15 to 20 minutes and we use that as a way to put some of those thoughts that we've gathered throughout the week on paper," Ebinger said. "It can be therapy. Students want to approach it that way and it's a two-way conversation that I have with each of my students in private." She also emphasizes stories of resistance and rescue. "Students also understand that just because something terrible happens, people don't just ignore it," Ebinger said. "There are those who do, but there are those who also take courageous steps to save their neighbors, save their loved ones and to fight back." Impact beyond the classroom Ebinger said the course has inspired activism and community involvement. During renewed conflict in Armenia's Artsakh region in 2021, her students organized a public program with presentations, Armenian music and food that drew more than 100 people. "My students want to take action," she said. "They want to be involved and they are concerned about the world and people who are in situations that they could never imagine and so they want to help." She said the program has drawn strong support in New London. "I've always had support from the administration and they were very excited to learn of my appointment to the commission," Ebinger said. That support has extended to the wider community. After giving a talk to the Rotary Club, Ebinger created a six-week adult education course on the Holocaust. Thirty-five people attended, ranging in age from 18 to 95, including a World War II veteran. Looking ahead With her appointment and the educator of the year honor, Ebinger said she hopes to encourage other schools to take on similar programs. "One of my personal and professional goals was to somehow inspire teachers in my situation that you can teach very specific courses in a small school," she said. "If your student interest is there and you have the desire and the resources, then it is an important course to a school's offerings."