Preparation:

Role cards, worksheets
Newspaper articles (see related articles below)
Notepads and writing utensils
Butcher paper (for journalists to write their newspapers)

Helpful hints for facilitators
As you run this simulation game, keep the students focused on the underlying issues. It is very easy for them to get distracted by the goal of 'winning' their case or concentrating on money.

Each case should be related back to the social barometer questions.
The Norway case relates to question #1;
the Polish case relates to #2;
the Argentina case relates to #3;
the Swiss case relates to #4.

Goals:

The class/group is about to embark on four cases involving real issues which are being addressed today both by world governments and international Jewish organizations such as the WJC (World Jewish Congress) and JDC (Joint Distribution Committee). In reality, the WJC would not take these countries to court, but the activity is simplified in order to concentrate all the issues in one forum.

Thus, the goal of the activity is not for the participants to win or lose each case. Rather, they should become more aware of the issues and learn that there are conflicts between what we think is 'just' and what happens in the real world.

Finally, you can use this activity to raise the question, 'What do we do in a world where Jews are still living with the Holocaust, but the world seems to be forgetting about it?'

The ultimate goal is to raise the students' awareness to the fact that both individuals and communities are still grappling with the fall out of the Holocaust, despite the fact that over fifty years have passed. Furthermore, they should be able to take stock of their own individual connection to these issues.

Procedure:

Introduction (5 minutes)
The facilitator explains to participants that it is now the year 1997.

The World Zionist Organization (WZO), or the WJC (whichever you prefer), on the 100th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress, has noted that governments as of late have taken the attitude that since more than fifty years have passed since the Holocaust, the books are 'closed' on this period of history.

Hence, on behalf of world Jewry, it has decided to take its case to the United Nations' International Court in the Hague. It intends to pursue a few test cases to force world governments to affirm their continuing responsibility towards ensuring that all Holocaust victims or their descendants may pursue restitution as long as it takes. In a nutshell, the WJC wants the Court to affirm that there is no 'statue of limitations' regarding Holocaust claims.

Preparation (20-25 minutes)

1. Assign the following roles to the class:

• 8 country representatives (2 per country), or 4 reps and 4 lawyers
• 4 witnesses, one per country
• 4 lawyers, one per witness
• journalists
• 3 judges (preferably staff)

Hand each individual their role cards: Switzerland, Argentina, Norway, Germany/Poland.

2. At first, students should get into groups by country. Each group should read and discuss accompanying articles (see below). At least one journalist should be assigned to each group

3. Now, the lawyers and their clients should sit in pairs. Each pair should develop a strategy. Journalists are free to mingle and start taking notes on the various claims. Each journalist should be assigned to report on the trial of their respective country (e.g., if they sat with the Norwegian group in section 3a(ii), they should cover the story on Norway).

Implementation - the trial (40-45 min.)

Rules of the trial:
In each case, the plaintiff and then the defendant will be asked to make their opening statements. Each lawyer may ask three cross examination questions during this opening. Each lawyer will then be allowed to close with rebuttals.

Each side will be given two minutes for opening statements, five minutes for questions, and three minutes for rebuttals. The chief judge is in charge of maintaining order.

1. The judges call the court to order. On one side of the room sit the four country representatives and their lawyers; on the other side sit the plaintiffs and their lawyers. The chief judge announces that cases will be heard one by one.
2. Opening arguments and cross examination
3. Rebuttals

Deliberations (10 minutes)

The judges will decide amongst themselves the pros and cons of each case and will come to a decision on each one. They will then announce their rulings to the class, explaining what most influenced their decisions.

During deliberations, the journalists should be writing up their stories and/or editorials. The representatives and lawyers from each country (both plaintiff and defendant) can take this time to sit together and think of ways in which they would try to influence the governments involved in this activity to change their views in real life (e.g., demonstrations, a letter writing campaign, lobbying individual officials)

Evaluation (10 minutes)

• Do the participants feel that they were able to enter their roles realistically?
• Could individuals seperate themselves out of their roles? How might the results of this trial compare to a real trial? Does the make-up of the group create an internal bias one way or the other?
• Is the world forgetting the Holocaust or just trying to put it into perspective?
• In a world where most countries seem to want to put the Holocaust behind them, where does that leave the Jewish survivors and their descendants?
• Does the Holocaust deserve special attention in the world forum, or are there so many problems today (e.g., Yugoslavia, Chechnya), that we can't expect the world to still be dealing with Holocaust-related issues?
• Do you think there should be a 'Statute of Limitations' on Holocaust claims and/or prosecuting Nazi criminals?