Redefining Holocaust Education

By Mimi Lebeau ‘24
Having grown up hearing about the Holocaust all the time, it is hard for me to fathom not knowing anything about the horrific tragedy. However, for the general public, despite occurring less than a century ago, the worst genocide in human history and the defining event of modern Jewish history is quite misunderstood. 

In a recent survey conducted on Millennials and Gen- Z, 63 percent did not know that over six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Despite this disturbing statistic, only 23 states require Holocaust education in public schools. 
There is no question that Holocaust education is not only necessary in and of itself, but is needed in preventing history from repeating. Although Hitler eventually shocked Europe with his actions, his rise to power was gradual, initially being extremely popular worldwide until he and his supporters began ruthlessly killing Jews and other minorities. After learning about these events and their causes, society today can at least recognize the warnings of fascism, a luxury Europeans in the 1930s did not have. 
This recognition for prevention’s sake must be the essence of Holocaust education, as it helps society to grow and improve. Younger generations must learn to spot the early signs of fascism and impending genocide that went unnoticed in Hitler’s rise to prominence so as to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. 
Particularly given the recent rise in antisemitism, neonazism and Holocaust denial, there is more of a need than ever to educate the younger generations on the causes and outcomes of the Holocaust. 
The first step in improving Holocaust awareness and understanding is a national Holocaust education mandate, requiring age-appropriate Holocaust-related topics to be part of the curriculum. Holocaust education should start at a young age and be taught in a way that elementary-age children can understand. 
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s children’s exhibit, “Remember the Children: Daniel's Story,” sets the precedent for how the Holocaust should be explained to young children. The exhibit presents a Jewish child named Daniel as a relatable figure, and from there, explains his story throughout the Holocaust. By presenting a figure most kids can understand and relate to, they can view the Holocaust on a small scale and be introduced to the tragedy in a digestible way.
As children grow up, they should continue to learn about the Holocaust in school from both a historical standpoint and on a smaller, more individual level to distinguish the Holocaust as not only a significant historical event but also a humanitarian tragedy. 
Although the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling, hearing first-hand stories is still vital to understanding the reality of the tragedy. As this will inevitably become more difficult to experience, videos and books become viable and needed alternatives.
By high school, the approach to Holocaust education should shift from a summary of what happened to a discussion on future measures of prevention and precaution. This point serves as the real culmination of what Holocaust education must be about: looking towards the future and giving a pragmatic purpose to years of prior learning.
Holocaust education should not be mere storytelling or repetition of what happened since. To move forward as a society, we must learn from past generations’ mistakes and learn to understand them so the Holocaust will never be repeated. Growth and change are the lifeblood of Holocaust education, as although we cannot change the past, we can give meaning to the tragedy by learning to prevent comparable events from ever occurring again.