By Lilah Gettler, Mohini Rathore, and Emma Roos, freshmen at Wilton High School.
On January 19th, 2023, House Bill #6203, titled An Act Concerning The Holocaust And Genocide Education And Awareness Curriculum, was proposed to the CT General Assembly. The bill summarizes its objective in less than 50 words: “That section 10-18f of the general statutes be amended to provide the State Education Resource Center with funding for training, equipment, and professional development for purposes of implementing the Holocaust and genocide education and awareness program provided by local and regional boards of education.”
Although districts are mandated to include Holocaust and genocide education in social studies curriculums as enforced by section 10-18f of the General Statutes, many argue that this alone isn’t sufficient. The Statute says that the board may utilize existing and appropriate public or private resources, without specifying the origins of these resources.
The partisan bill was sponsored by a group of democrats, including Bobby Gibson of the 15th district, David Michel of the 146th, and Ronald Napoli of the 73rd. It was introduced on the same day as 147 others: the first days of the General Assembly see a hectic flurry of bills. Another of which was proposed by Gibson, on a related subject of education, was HB6204, which provides the State Education Resource Center with funding for professional development and equipment in implementing the African American and Latino Studies Program.
However, HB6203 saw very little progress. It was referred to the joint committee on Education but has appeared on no committee agendas since. It experienced no headway in cycling through the legislative process when the General Assembly was adjourned on June 7th.
Instead of passing on its own, it was folded into another bill proposed nearly two months later: HB #6882, An Act Concerning Education Mandate Relief And Other Technical And Assorted Revisions And Additions To The Education And Early Childhood Education Statute.
HB #6882 was sponsored by Tim Ackert and Bobby Gibson (the original sponsor of HB #6203), hence the overlap of the legislation.
The bill references Holocaust and genocide education twice; the first is Section 18 Subsection A, which requires public schools to include the subject in their program of instruction. Section 45 requires the employment of at least one curriculum coordinator, who must “provide curriculum materials and assist local and regional boards of education to include certain subject areas when developing instructional programs.” They are required to assist with several subject areas, including Holocaust and genocide awareness in social studies curriculums in accordance with the previous statute.
HB #6882 is much closer to passing than Gibson’s first bill– it has been passed in both the Senate and House and is waiting to be signed into law. The proposal and soon-to-be legislation affirm that Holocaust education is moving forward in the near future.
Considering recent events of antisemitism, Holocaust and genocide education is more vital than ever. Just two short weeks after this bill's proposal, The Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut (JFACT) partnered with The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), presenting to over two dozen legislators about antisemitism and current political discourse.
A few things stood out in this presentation, which is recorded here on CT-N. One was a recent scandal in December of 2022 when, for a several-hour stretch, googling the word Jew would direct users to the definition: “To bargain with someone in a miserly or petty way”. This definition was reported by the ADL and several other concerned users who managed to remove it from Google shortly after.
This occurred amid a larger trend of rising antisemitism: in the same presentation, the ADL reported a 106% rise in antisemitic incidents from 2021-2022. More locally in Connecticut, the ADL responded to 360 hate incidents in 2022 compared with only 158 in 2021 - a 128% increase. These figures only account for reported incidents; many more likely occurred without documentation.
Many of these hate crimes were perpetrated in schools. One incident reported was a Fairfield County middle school student who experienced an escalation of Holocaust jokes, harassment, and even death threats following Kanye West’s tweet. In the tweet, he made derogatory and anti-semitic remarks, such as, “When I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” exacerbating an already alarming trend of rising incidents. In another local incident, a student took to Snapchat to post a photo holding a gun, captioned “kill the Jews.” On top of this, there were several reports of swastikas etched into lockers, drawn in bathroom stalls, and written on wipe boards, notebooks, and school buses.
With all of this in mind, will proper Holocaust education cure every ounce of antisemitism flowing through society? The answer is most likely no, but it certainly will be a tremendous step in the right direction.
Teaching about the Holocaust is a known way to help combat antisemitism: Ms. Lara Fayek, a history teacher at Wilton High School, says that when teaching her students about The Holocaust and genocide, she hopes that “They see that hate and discrimination hasn’t gone away, and that it’s very relevant to learn about this. It’s not always over there - there’s hate and discrimination affecting us, and they have the power to make a positive change.”
Holocaust and genocide education has the potential to teach students to be a positive voice of change; it can teach them to recognize the effect that acting on biases can have on other people.
Many teachers cite that a key element of their Holocaust curriculum was identifying the stages and factors that lead to genocidal actions. Ms. Molly Palmer, a history teacher at Wilton High School, says that she wants her students to recognize the signs of escalating hate observable in the Holocaust. Recognizing these patterns is important, as they have recurred many times throughout history.
This coincides well with one of the prominent misconceptions about the Holocaust. A survey conducted this year by the American Jewish Committee reveals that when New Yorkers were asked how Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, 24% chose not sure, 34% said he came to power by violently overthrowing the German government, and 39% said it was by a democratic political process” (AJC). The correct answer was the latter. The rapid rate at which a mindset of hate and discrimination can grow is one of the most crucial lessons to take from the Holocaust and clearly remains a neglected subject.
Despite the clear need for educating students on the topic, teaching the Holocaust and other genocides has been a controversial debate for decades; when taught without caution, it can convey the wrong message. The National Affairs has identified many issues with its teachings such as a fragmented story, disbelief, or the misinterpretation of events.
Holocaust minimization is dangerous, but at its worst, it can reverse the desired effects of education. By minimizing events and omitting key details, Holocaust distortion has become “The greatest contemporary threat to the legacy of the Holocaust”(Protect the Facts).
A free resource by The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust lists methods teachers can employ while teaching the Holocaust. They recommend referring only to the known facts to avoid student debate about what is true, as well as pointing students heavily towards specific messages during their studies of these topics.
Another risk of Holocaust education is painting Jewish people solely in the light of “victimhood.” One key change to the curriculum would consist of “stressing that wider forms of teaching about Jewish history and culture are also important within education”(History and Policy).
The added emphasis on students’ awareness of the humanity of other cultures promotes attitudes of empathy and tolerance, with empathy being the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Insufficient curricula cause students to develop sympathy for other groups, but mere sympathy is not enough. To convince people to take a stand against hate, educators must teach empathy.
The current state of Holocaust education varies significantly between districts.
Wilton High School teachers express satisfaction with the way that the curriculum has been formed and executed. Dr. David Wilock, a history teacher at Wilton High School, says that he collaborates with other educators to form lessons that work for most, if not all students. Accordingly, Ms. Palmer said that the only constraint she has is time, as she believes that the Holocaust and genocide unit could easily encompass a year-long course.
Wilton educators frequently cited Echoes and Reflections, a program run by the ADL, as a main provider of professional development and classroom resources. As a treasured asset for educators, Echoes and Reflections provide tools like videos and survivor testimonies to transform genocide and Holocaust education into something more than reading from a textbook. They host workshops for teachers on the best practices for genocide education with a large emphasis on the Holocaust.
While Wilton teachers are provided with an abundance of training and resources, the amount of support varies significantly across other towns within Fairfield County. Ms. Erik Thomas, a history teacher at P-Tech High School in Norwalk, provided insight into the problems with the genocide curriculum in her U.S. History class. In response to the question, “Do you feel that your students get an adequate understanding of the Holocaust and other genocides?” Mrs. Thomas replied, “I feel they get a good overview of the topic, but definitely do not get a full understanding of it.” She went on to say that the district has not provided any formal professional training and that her instruction is based solely on her own graduate studies.
From what she recalls, most Holocaust instruction in P-Tech focuses on the Jewish population. Although she recognizes the Jewish population as an obvious part of the Holocaust, she also acknowledges that little attention is given to minority groups that were also affected. A lack of representation of the lesser-known persecuted groups of the Holocaust can result in a fragmentary perspective.
Just a few miles away at Darien High School, history teacher Mr. Owen DeMasi feels that the Darien curriculum covers the less frequently addressed parts of the Holocaust. He says, “I feel that our curriculum is well-rounded and covers topics that are not usually covered.” As a result, his students have a well-shaped understanding of the Holocaust: “I think students get enough exposure to the Holocaust, but other genocides do not seem to be prioritized in the curriculum.”
When asked, “Can you share any personal experiences or anecdotes that highlight the impact of teaching the Holocaust on your students' perspectives or attitudes?” Mr. DeMasi explained how passionate his students are about the curriculum: “Many students are very interested to learn about the historical events that led to the Holocaust. This seems to be a topic students are genuinely interested in.”
However, despite the students’ demonstrated interest, the school lacks resources for educators. DeMasi said that he has not received any training or resources from the district, and he and his coworkers are left to fend for themselves. He adds, “Professional development surrounding the teaching of these tragic events would be helpful. Learning how to effectively address these tragic historical events while also taking into account students’ social and emotional needs.”
Keith Denning, Representative of Connecticut House of Representatives District #42, says that he “supports HB6203 and any other educational program that teaches history not the way would like to idealize our story but to emphasize that our history is documented with human atrocities that could have been prevented maybe if people were aware of what was being done and why.”
At the time of writing this piece, we are three freshmen at Wilton High School. This year in our combined English and History class, we focused heavily on the Holocaust and genocides throughout the history of the world.
We have addressed the importance of recognizing the pattern of genocidal actions, the effects of distortion and manipulation on people’s perceptions of each other, and the effect of dehumanization in inciting a disconnect between groups of people.
Through the content of this course, we have realized the importance of Holocaust and genocide awareness and its role in preventing future atrocities. We support this bill because its emphasis on these topics in the curriculum would promote tolerance and equality between groups of people as this kind of learning naturally aligns itself (when taught correctly) with the development of empathy.
In order to spread awareness of this topic and its importance, we recommend conducting research using trusted resources. Here are a few:
Protect the Facts - A database run by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Their goal is to combat Holocaust distortion and minimization on social media by supplying people with resources and articles with accurate information.
The Anti-Defamation League - An organization that fights against antisemitism and other discrimination by making people check their biased attitudes. A few of their methods include conducting research on domestic extremism, assisting people in filing lawsuits to hold violent groups accountable, and speaking against antisemitic rhetoric.
Nonetheless, these are only two of the numerous credible sources about Holocaust and genocide education available online. Joining one of these organizations or simply researching would expose people to accurate Holocaust information - something vital to developing an adequate understanding of the past, present, and future of hate crimes and genocides.
As legislation moves forward in promoting these values, we hope that people will take the initiative to search for the truth in both the history that they are taught and the instances they witness on a daily basis. Schooling builds the foundation for an empathetic future. It is in school that students can learn to be a positive force of change by learning how their words and actions affect others. Embracing a comprehensive approach to education – one that acknowledges historical truths and encourages empathy – is key to shaping a future generation capable of challenging and dismantling historical misconceptions.