A majority of U.S. states don't have laws requiring public school students to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust, according to an Axios analysis of data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Why it matters: Surveys show Americans — especially Millennials and Gen Z members — don't know basic facts about the Holocaust amid a rise in racist and antisemitic social media posts and a jump in antisemitic violence across the U.S.
By the numbers: At least 18 states have passed bills specifically requiring Holocaust and genocide education, the National Conference of State Legislature said.
Zoom in: Some states that don't have laws mandating Holocaust education instruct schools to teach it through broad social studies standards adopted by state education agencies.
State of play: A 2020 survey commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany measuring Holocaust awareness in the U.S. found that roughly two-thirds of those surveyed didn't know how many Jewish people died.
Zoom out: Antisemitic hate crimes are trending higher this year in several major cities and could surpass numbers from 2021 — a possible record year, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.
What they're saying: "Holocaust education is essential. But I also believe that it should be part of a chain of education that deals with the diverse groups that make up the United States," Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism director Brian Levin told Axios.
Yes, but: Samantha Abramson, executive director of the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center in Milwaukee, said states like Wisconsin that require Holocaust education don't put funding behind it.
The bottom line: Holocaust education shouldn't be simply about knowing how many Jewish people were killed, Amy Asin, vice president and director of strengthening congregations for the Union of Reform Judaism, told Axios.
