Why We Need to Pay More Attention to the Astounding Lack of Holocaust Knowledge Among Our Generation

Recently, The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany conducted the first ever nationwide study on Holocaust knowlege among millennials and members of Generation Z, and the results are shocking and disturbing.The release of the “U.S. Millennial Holocaust Knowlege and Awareness Survey” highlighted a large deficit of basic Holocaust knowlege in the United States for Americans ages 18-39. The study showed that 63% of respondents lacked knowledge of the six million Jewish people who were murdered, 26% thought that “two million or fewer Jews” were killed, 48% of respondents could not name a single concentration camp or ghetto, and 10% believed that Jews were responsible for the Holocaust. 

The president of the conference that conducted the servey, Gideon Taylor, stated that the results “underscore why we must act now while Holocaust survivors are still with us to voice their stories.” Taylor’s statement calls attention to the most troubling aspect of these findings. the Holocaust took place in the 1940’s, the number of survivors who are still alive is decreasing daily, and their stories are dying along with them. This pattern means that our generation must take action and become educated on the matter before it is too late, and there are no stories left to tell about the atrocious realities that the victims faced.

So, what is the next step in educating this generation and the generations to come? Holocaust education informs students about human rights and prevents history from repeating itself. The more informed and aware young people are about this issue, the easier it will be to combat anti-semitism. According to the Anti-Defamation League, as of 2019, only 11 states had laws requiring Holocaust education in schools, whereas many states only “recommend” that Holocaust education be included in school curricula. In order to do provide Holocaust education, school systems need to verify that teachers have the proper knowledge and resources. Additionally, Holocaust education programs should be incorporated into communities, so that people of all ages who lack the proper knowledge on this topic can become educated. 

While requiring Holocaust education in all schools is an ambitious goal, the majority of the survey-takers were not opposed to becoming informed on the matter. In fact, 64% of respondents believed that Holocaust education should be mandatory in all schools. Additionally, 70% of respondents found neo-Nazi views intolerable. It is vital to have a nationwide conversation on how to better incorporate  Holocaust education in our country today, so that change can begin, and younger generations can learn about where prejudice leads. 

The best way to guarantee that Holocaust education is incorporated into schools is to pass more laws like the Never Again Act, a law passed in May of 2020 to provide federal funding for  teachers across the United States to develop the resources necessary to teach students about this pressing issue. 

While the results of this survey are ominous, there is still hope for our generation to become informed before it is too late. It is imperative that change is enacted quickly to ensure that an event like the Holocaust never happens again.

By Sophia Sanders