Holocaust Awareness all over the Nation by Nereiah L.

Herrera
The Holocaust is a tragedy where many lives were damaged and taken from Jews and
other victims such as homosexuals, Gypsies, Christians, Jehovahs Witnesses, outspoken
resistors and political dissidents, the handicapped, Poles, and Soviet prisoners of war, which was
which was responsibility of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Many lives lost which deserve to have
their story remembered by the growing generations today. There are a total of fifty states in the
United States and only seventeen states have passed some type of legislation regarding
Holocaust education (Weeden, 2005), and five of those seventeen states actually require the
teaching of the Holocaust, which include Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, California, and New York.
Although, the understanding of the Holocaust should be a requirement all over the nation not just
for those five states, because it gives the Holocaust a higher chance to being commemorated.
Holocaust education in all fifty states could be a very difficult process, but if the steps
that Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, California, and New York used are followed, then it could be
possible for the requirement of Holocaust education all over the nation. Although, there will be
some duties and responsibilities that a state would have to pursue such as, providing assistance
and advice to [schools and educators] with respect to the implementation of Holocaust education
and awareness programs (Weeden, 2005), assistance to coordination and modification of
courses or programs that include the Holocaust (Weeden, 2005), survey and catalog the extent
Holocaust education exist in state curricula (Weeden, 2005), inventory Holocaust memorials,
exhibits and resources that could be used in classrooms and other educational
programs(Weeden, 2005), a list of volunteers [such as educators, survivors, historians, etc.]
who are willing to share their knowledge and experiences of the Holocaust (Weeden, 2005),
coordinate events memorializing the Holocaust that will enhance public and student awareness

of the Holocaust (Weeden, 2005), and prepare reports for the governor and state legislature
that list findings and recommendations to facilitate the inclusion of Holocaust studies into the
educational systems of the state (Weeden, 2005). By completing the required steps for
Holocaust education the commissions are given the right to act as a liaison with various bodies,
including the United States Congress, the state legislature, the United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum, as well as other national and international agencies (Weeden, 2005)
A survey establishing
Holocaust education was
conducted by Nereiah Leeann
Herrera at the University of
Texas at El Paso on March 20,
2016. Herrera surveyed 24
students to inquire necessity
and importance of
incorporating Holocaust
education. The survey asked a
series of questions requiring
Holocaust knowledge.

Figure 1: Survey Holocaust Awareness in America

(March 20, 2016) conducted by Nereiah Herrera, student at
the University of Texas at El Paso.

Unfortunately, the questions regarding the Holocaust were not all correctly answered. Although,
75% of survey volunteers agreed they do not contain the right amount of knowledge to say they
actually know about the Holocaust, which can be seen in Figure 1.
Just imagine a very important time in someones life being forgotten such as a death in
the family, a birthday, anniversary, or in this case an innocent life which suffered simply for

being racially inferior in someones opinion. The importance for the understanding of the
Holocaust can teach humanitys moral values where even unintentional indifference and silence
to the sufferings and human rights infringements of others perpetuates victimization also that
the Holocaust was not inevitable but rather occurred because people made choices that
legitimized prejudice, hatred and mass murder (Teaching about the Holocaust, 2000). Teaching
the Holocaust gives the advantage to completely understand the contextual nature of human
behavior, its range and subtleties, and the contradictory ways that humans respond to moral
challenges (Lyons, 2001), through the understanding of histories marks. Creating a nation that
can finally commemorate the Holocaust.

References
Teaching About the Holocaust: a rescue book for educators (2000). Washington, D.C: United
States Holocaust Museum.
Dustin D. Weeden (2005) State Notes: Curriculum: State Policies Concerning Holocaust
Education. Retrieved from http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/62/34/6234.pdf
Thomas Leuthard (2015) Street Photography. Retrieved from
https://tagteam.harvard.edu/hub_feeds/3353/feed_items/2104336
Paul Lyons (November 2001) Teaching the Holocaust in America: Historically Speaking, V: 3
N2, 19-21. Retrieved from
http://muse,jhu.edu/journals/hsp/summary/v003/3.2.lyins.html