Bringing Holocaust Education to Students

USHMM to help teachers incorporate Shoah into curricula

Holocaust educators, Survivors, and descendants are lauding a bill that will help teachers introduce Holocaust content and context to their students.

President Donald J. Trump signed the Never Again Education Act on May 28. Among other things, it provides $2 million to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund to create an online database containing Holocaust-related educational materials for middle- and high-school teachers across multiple subject areas.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Many states, including Ohio, do not mandate Holocaust education in public schools and many teachers—through no fault of their own—lack the resources and training to present an historical and contextual picture of the Shoah. Unlike in areas such as Cleveland’s eastern suburbs, students and teachers in other parts of the country may never come in contact with a Survivor, making Holocaust education that much more vital.

Through Holocaust education, students can learn about:

• The events leading to systemic anti-Semitism, racism, and xenophobia

• The incarceration and extermination of those in concentration and forced-labor camps

• Heroes who fought against the Nazis and helped Jews escape almost-certain death

• How and why Hitler was defeated

• How Survivors rebuilt their lives

• The prosecution of war criminals

Most importantly, teachers can lead discussions about the importance of applying lessons learned from this dark period of history to modern times so, as the name of the bill states, a Holocaust will “Never Again” occur.

KOL ISRAEL’S ROLE

Kol Israel Foundation has long been at the forefront of Holocaust education through our Face to Face® and Sharing Our Stories programs, which bring together school/community groups and Survivors/descendants of Survivors in an in-person or virtual setting. Through the years, these programs have reached more than 54,000 students from 135 schools in 11 Northeast Ohio counties.

Distinguishing KIF’s approach to Holocaust education is its emphasis on creating a better today based on the teachings of the past. Most of our volunteer docents and speakers—as well as our staff—are Survivors, descendants of Survivors, or descendants of Liberators. All are committed to encouraging tolerance, acceptance, love, and understanding among all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, sexuality, or gender identity.

As the world navigates life during the coronavirus pandemic, KIF remains steadfast in its support of Holocaust education. Recognizing traditional, in-person models for our education programs require modification this upcoming school year, we are exploring ways to work with teachers on bringing our curriculum to students virtually.

If you would like to volunteer with KIF’s Holocaust education programs, please email Marianne Lax at mlax@kifcle.org.

YOUR TURN

What do you think about the Never Again Education Act? What lessons would you emphasize if you were teaching middle- and high-school students? We welcome your comments below.