State Legislatures Report Severe Lack of Holocaust Education in US Public Schools as Anti-Semitism Continues to Soar

State Legislatures Report Severe Lack of Holocaust Education in US Public Schools as Anti-Semitism Continues to Soar 

Edited by: Fern Sidman

As the number of Holocaust survivors continue to dwindle, so does the memory of the single most defining event of the 20^th century. As anti-Semitism continues to increase on a global level at a frightening pace, the paramount importance of providing the next generation with a quality education about the horrors of the Holocaust and religious hatred appears to be severely lacking.

According to an Axios analysis of data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, the majority of U.S. states don’t have laws requiring public school students to learn about the origins and atrocities associated with the Holocaust.

The National Conference of State Legislature said that at least 18 states have passed bills specifically requiring Holocaust and genocide education, as was reported by Axios.

Axios also reported that just five states had laws requiring Holocaust education before 2017, according to data collected by National Conference of State Legislatures policy associate Emily Ronco.

Then 13 states passed legislation after President Trump took office, and the nation saw a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic violence.  Anti-Semitic hate crimes are trending higher this year in several major cities and could surpass numbers from 2021 — a possible record year, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

A 2020 survey commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany measuring Holocaust awareness in the U.S. found that roughly two-thirds of those surveyed didn’t know how many Jewish people died during that nightmarish period in history, Axios reported.

The survey of Americans between 18 and 40 also found that 48% could not name one concentration camp or ghetto.  Surveys show Americans — especially Millennials and Gen Z members — don’t know basic facts about the Holocaust amid a rise in racist and anti-Semitic social media posts and a jump in anti-Semitic violence across the U.S., according to the Axios report.

Speaking to Axios, Brian Levin, the director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism said, “Holocaust education is essential. But I also believe that it should be part of a chain of education that deals with the diverse groups that make up the United States.”

California, which isn’t on the National Conference of State Legislatures’ list, enacted a law in 1985 that said social studies should pay “particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust, and contemporary issues,” Axios reported.

Pennsylvania, also not on the list, passed a law in 2014 prioritizing Holocaust lessons. The instruction is not mandated but “encouraged,” the state Board of Education said.

The Never Again Education Act was passed by the 116^th congress in May of 2020 under the leadership of former Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. At the time, she said,  “Combatting hate and intolerance must always be a priority and I’m glad that the Senate agrees. Passing this bill by unanimous consent sends a strong message that the Congress is overwhelmingly united in combatting anti-Semitism and hate through education. Children are not born with hate in their hearts, it is up to us to make sure they never learn it.”

She added that “to do that, we must make sure our educators have the tools they need to teach about the Holocaust, an incredibly difficult subject to teach and for students to understand. I want to thank Senators Rosen, Cramer, Rubio, and Blumenthal for moving this bill so quickly through the Senate and their partnership in this effort.”

In April 2021, Maloney said on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, “Today we mourn the six million Jews and six million others who were violently murdered during the Holocaust. We also honor the survivors who have dedicated their lives to sharing their stories so that we may fulfill our promise of ‘Never Again.’

“If we do not learn from history, we are condemned to repeat it. That is why I am proud to have passed the Never Again Education Act last year, which will give our educators the resources and training they need to teach our children the important lessons of the Holocaust and the consequences of anti-Semitism, intolerance, and hate. We are in the midst of a growing crisis in our nation fueled by bigotry and must face it head-on.

“Although it has been seventy-six years since the Holocaust, the lessons it teaches us are invaluable and timeless. Violent incidents like those on the streets of Charlottesville, on the sacred grounds of houses of worship, and even inside the United States Capitol on January 6 tell us that this fight against bigotry and hate has not yet been won. Today, I call on all of us to renew our pledge of ‘Never Again’ and personally vow to combat racism in all forms, wherever and whenever it arises.”