Support Holocaust Education Schools. Pass the Never Again Education Act.
As intolerance, antisemitism, bigotry, and all forms of hate are promoted by hate groups, Holocaust education provides a context in which to learn about the danger of what can happen when hate goes unchallenged and there is indifference in the face of the oppression of others; learning how and why the Holocaust happened is an important component of the education of citizens of the United States.
While there are thriving professional development programs across the United States delivered by Holocaust education centers, such as members of the Association of Holocaust Organizations, many students still have little exposure to education about the events of the Holocaust and its relevance to their lives, in part due to the many financial and logistical barriers to getting resources from Holocaust education centers to students in the classroom.
More than 70 years after the conclusion of World War II, with the decreasing number of eyewitnesses and growing distance of students and their families from this history, it is important to institutionalize education about the events of the Holocaust such as the Nazis’ racist ideology, propaganda, and plan to lead a state to war and, with their collaborators, kill millions—including the systematic murder of 6,000,000 Jewish people; as well as the persecution and murder of millions of others in the name of racial purity, political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, among them Roma, the disabled, the Slavic people, Communists, Socialists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and homosexuals.
Today, those who deny that the Holocaust occurred or distort the true nature of the Holocaust continue to find forums, especially online; this denial and distortion dishonors those who were persecuted, and murdered, making it even more of a national imperative to educate students in the United States so that they may explore the lessons that the Holocaust provides for all people, sensitize communities to the circumstances that gave rise to the Holocaust, and help youth be less susceptible to the falsehood of Holocaust denial and distortion and to the destructive messages of hate that arise from Holocaust denial and distortion.
The Federal Government, especially the Department of Education, has a role to play in promoting resources and training that can assist teachers and primary and secondary schools incorporate the study of the Holocaust into their curriculum, to help ensure that students have access to accurate and engaging historical information about the Holocaust, and the Department of Education is well-positioned to assist Holocaust education centers in overcoming many of the barriers to expanding Holocaust education, which will allow more students to learn the lessons of the Holocaust.
What is the Never Again Education Act?
The Never Act Education Act (H.R.943), sponsored by U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY 12), is a bill that would authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs about the Holocaust, and for other purposes.
The Never Act Education Act (H.R.943);
-Establishes a federal fund at the Department of Education, the “Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund.” The fund is able to accept private donations in addition to appropriated funds. The fund will finance grants to public and private middle and high schools to help teachers develop and improve Holocaust education programs.
-Gives funding directly to teachers to develop individualized programs that best suit their students’ needs.
-Expenses include training for educators, textbooks, transportation and housing for teachers to attend seminars, transportation for survivors to be brought to a school, and field trips.
-Creates a Holocaust Education website as a central hub of resources and best practices for teachers interested in Holocaust education.
-Curriculum experts at the Department of Education will work with trained Holocaust educators to conduct regional workshops that help teachers work within their state and local education requirements to incorporate the sensitive subject of the Holocaust into their classrooms.
-Creates an Advisory Board to help develop the competitive criteria for grants, select the content for the website, and lead fundraising efforts for the program.
Benefits to the Never Act Education Act (H.R.943);
-Teachers face many barriers to teaching the Holocaust: a lack of awareness of where to find resources, a lack of funding to take advantage of these resources, and a lack of knowledge for how to incorporate the subject into their curriculums. This program will help teachers overcome these barriers at no additional cost to the taxpayer.
-Private Holocaust education centers provide valuable training programs, curriculum and other resources, but are limited to helping the schools in their area. This program will help these centers reach a broader audience, and provide teachers with the tools to educate students in communities across the country.
-This program will finally recognize the importance of Holocaust education at the federal level and teach our children about the valuable lessons from the Holocaust.
