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Trauma-Informed Strategies for Teaching the Holocaust: The Power of Music and the Arts
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
Trauma-Informed Strategies for Teaching the Holocaust: The Power of Music and the Arts
Presented by Michael Igel, Chair, Florida Commissioner of Education’s Task Force on Holocaust Education, and Chair, The Florida Holocaust Museum Wiesel Archives and Legacy Council; David Graham, Bill Graham Memorial Foundation; Triza Cox, Experienced Educator, Harmony Program Manager, TeachRock; and Gina Machado, Former Educator, Current Director of Programs and Partnerships, TeachRock
Sponsored by TeachRock
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Music and the arts offer students a new way into Holocaust history, helping them connect with the human stories and process what they learn. This edWebinar introduces TeachRock’s newest Harmony lesson, a free, multi-day resource that pairs music with trauma-informed arts activities. You’ll see how the lesson uses a “Safely In, Safely Out” approach to introduce difficult content with accuracy and care. You’ll also see how artist biographies show students that Jewish culture, creativity, and identity extend beyond the Holocaust.
Join Michael Igel, Chair of the Florida Commissioner of Education’s Task Force on Holocaust Education, David Graham, Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, and TeachRock for a conversation about what it takes to help students engage with difficult history in meaningful and lasting ways.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Explain how music can serve as an entry point into complex, emotionally difficult history
- Use a “Safely In, Safely Out” approach to frame, pace, and close lessons on difficult content
- Identify trauma-informed practices that help students process complex emotions through music, art, poetry, and reflection
- Access and begin using TeachRock’s free Holocaust lesson in their own classrooms
This edWebinar will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, librarians, school leaders, and district leaders.
View all of the recent TeachRock edWebinars.
About the Presenters
Michael Igel chairs the Florida Commissioner of Education's Task Force on Holocaust Education and is Board Chair Emeritus of The Florida Holocaust Museum. He is the grandchild of three Holocaust survivors, and that family history shapes his commitment to develop innovative methods to make sure students across Florida and beyond learn the lessons of the Holocaust, and why they are relevant today. Michael is a contributing author on TeachRock's new Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust lesson and is helping to bring it to classrooms and communities across Florida and nationally. Michael is an attorney with Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, LLP in St. Petersburg, where he is board certified in health law.
David Graham grew up in the music industry, spending time on the road with The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and other legendary artists. He attended Quaker schools and spent his summers working at Bill Graham Presents, the concert-promotion company founded by his father, Bill Graham. By his final year at Columbia University, David had launched his own artist management company, Music Unlimited, where he went on to represent artists including Blues Traveler. Today, he serves on the board of the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, continuing a lifelong connection to music, artists, and the community his father helped shape.
Triza Cox is the Program Manager for TeachRock’s Harmony Advisory Program. In this capacity, she uses her passion for democratizing arts access as well as her commitment to wellness through the use of art to engage students in social and emotional learning. Triza holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Louisville and has worked for over a decade as an arts educator as well as a playwright, director, producer, and actor. Additionally, Triza has been a Certified Prevention Specialist and worked in drug and alcohol prevention. She is currently a National Leaders of Color Fellow in Arts Administration. In 2021, Triza was awarded a fellowship in screenwriting from the South Carolina Arts Commission. She is also currently the Artistic Director of The Drama Lady Theatre Group.
About the Moderator
Gina Machado is the Director of Programs and Partnerships at TeachRock, where she leads the development of an arts-integrated social and emotional learning program and designs and facilitates professional development initiatives nationwide. Drawing from her experience as a classroom educator in The Bronx, New York, and her master’s degrees in special education and educational leadership, Gina supports educators across the United States in implementing TeachRock’s curriculum and pedagogical approaches. An educator at heart with extensive experience working with students of various levels and abilities, Gina’s passion lies in developing creative ways to engage all learners while strengthening meaningful student-teacher relationships.
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Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Launched by Stevie Van Zandt and the Founders Board of Bono, Jackson Browne, Martin Scorsese, and Bruce Springsteen, TeachRock.org provides free, standards-aligned resources that use music to help K-12 students succeed in science, math, social studies, language arts, and more.
