Butterflies Fly to Cape Cod!

By guest author Daniella Garran, Educator at Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School

I returned from NCSS in November after several days of hearing wonderful presentations from educators across the country, but what struck me most was something in the exhibit hall: The Butterfly Project. As soon as I realized what it was, I knew I had to bring it to my school. I painted my own butterfly and packed it safely in my suitcase. When I arrived at school the following Monday, I walked in to my principal’s office and said, “We are doing this. You can’t say no.”

Students’ First Lessons on the Holocaust

I’m fortunate to teach in a charter school where we are encouraged to teach our passions and interests. I am blessed to be able to sneak a Holocaust unit into my ancient civilizations curriculum with the endorsement and encouragement of my administration. In Massachusetts, students don’t formally learn about the Holocaust until well into high school. However, in my opinion that is entirely too late to learn the lessons of the Shoah. Because I teach middle school and this is students’ first exposure to such a significant historical event, I think it’s important to introduce it with great caution and care. I notify parents a month before we start our study and provide them with lots of resources so that they can feel equipped to answer students’ questions when they get home. I know that the topic resonates with students and their families. Over the years, I’ve received many notes thanking me for introducing the Holocaust to students because parents felt that they didn’t know how to do so at home. I’ve had students discover family histories that had been dormant for many years. One student’s grandmother sent her grandfather’s scrapbook and photo album from when he liberated the camps in Germany. No one in the family had ever expressed interest until my student had. This unit opens the door for meaningful dialogue.

Family Histories Come To Life

This year presented the perfect confluence of events. In response to my annual letter to families, one parent replied, “Just thought you’d want to know that Alex’s great-grandmother is Righteous Among the Nations.” OF COURSE I wanted to know! This student was able to research her and learn more about family history through the project I assign, Memoirs of the Righteous, for which students research an individual who risked his or her life to save others during the Holocaust. And at open house in the fall, one mom approached me and said rather casually, “My father is a Survivor if you’d be interested in having him talk to the class.” We began a dialogue which brought us to January 18, 2018.
We arranged for Martin Owens, a Survivor whose parents sent him from Austria to England to a boarding school for refugees in 1938, to come speak to the class. I knew that this couldn’t be just a short talk from a guest speaker out of context. After a morning of special programming including virtual tours of the Anne Frank House, writing found poetry, learning about the amazing people of Denmark who miraculously saved 7,200 of their 7,400 Jews, and seeing how Holocaust victims and Survivors have been memorialized throughout the world through art, students watched NOT the Last Butterfly to understand the context of the project. Having already viewed Paper Clips as part of our Holocaust unit, students understood where the inspiration for the project came from and were eager to create their own memorial.

Martin with friends
Survivor Martin Owens speaks to students at Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School.

I told students that they have a huge responsibility.

They are the last generation who will coexist with Holocaust Survivors. As such, they must commit to carrying on the messages of Survivors and the lessons of the Holocaust. As young people, they also have an opportunity. They have a chance to make a difference, like the Righteous Among the Nations did so many years ago. Whether they help one person or 100 people, they will affect change.
I am lucky to have a wonderful class this year who took this to heart and solemnly read the identity cards provided by The Butterfly Project. They were reminded that they are giving those children a voice and they were encouraged to try and capture that child’s essence when they painted their butterfly. Here is what one student had to say:

“I got a little girl who only lived until she was 6, so I made a whimsical butterfly. Making that butterfly was so heavy. You were the one who was representing that poor child, no one else would, only me. The story was really touching. I will never forget today. This was a really unique learning experience. I feel super touched to be one of the last generations to hear from a Holocaust Survivor.” — Mackenzie Cole, 7th grade

Nick, a student at Cape Cod lighthouse Charter School, shows his painted butterfly to his grandfather, Survivor Martin Owens.

In the Jewish faith, 18 (chai) is a lucky number and is synonymous with life. It is not lost on me that today is a double chai (1-18 – 18). In essence, through The Butterfly Project, today we gave life to more than 80 children whose lives were cut short. It is an honor and a privilege.

To learn more about this event, read this special article about the day in the Cape Cod Times.

By Rebeca Besquin, member of The Butterfly Project’s Board of Directors

Every November, Kadimatón, a fundraiser for Kadima (an organization for people with special needs and/or handicapped) takes place at all schools within the Jewish community in Mexico City, to educate thousands of students about disabilities and diversity. Rebeca Besquin has been committed to expanding The Butterfly Project to Mexico for at least 10 years.
In November 2017, The Butterfly Project paired with Kadima to help make an impression on these students by teaching them about the Holocaust; the 1,500,000 children who perished and the dangers of hatred. The impact we made will be reflected throughout future installations of the 6,000 ceramic butterflies painted by Kadima in diverse Mexican institutions.

Kadima also made a generous donation to The Butterfly Project, allowing students to paint a butterfly while giving the same opportunity to those less fortunate. We would like to thank Lily Margolis and Monica Tawill for making this possible.
Here is a video Kadima made of children painting butterflies at Kadimatón 2017:

The following schools and institutions participated in the campaign:

Schools

  • Colegio Atid
  • Colegio Sefaradí
  • Merkaz Montessori
  • Gan Condesa
  • Comunidad Israelita de Guadalajara
  • Colegio Tarbut
  • Gan Montessori
  • Colegio Or Hajayim
  • Colegio CIM ORT
  • Bet Hayeladim
  • Yeshiva Emuna
  • Comunidad Israelita de Monterrey
  • Colegio Maguen David
  • Colegio Yavne
  • Or Sameaj
  • Alegro Montessori
  • Colegio Monte Sinaí
  • Mi Espacio Montessori

Organizations 

  • CRIT de Tlalnepantla
  • CONFE
  • Amigos del Down
  • Galher
  • CAM Huixquilucan
  • DIF Huxquilucan
  • Centro Iluminando y Editras
  • Nutre mis Seuños
  • CAM Naucalpan
  • Moviendo Causas
  • Niños que viven en el Reclusorio de Santa Martha Acatitla con sus mamas

Here are some wonderful images of children painting their butterflies:

 In our 11 years of existence, we have watched The Butterfly Project evolve into a grassroots-gone-global project as our butterflies have traveled around the world and back. We have witnessed our butterflies flutter to far-away places like Israel, Poland, Mexico, Uruguay, Czech Republic, Latvia, Peru, and of course many, many cities here in the United States.
Occasionally, a community shows so much passion for our mission that it takes our breath away. When that occurs, it’s important to take the time to celebrate their work… not only to honor their efforts and dedication, but also to showcase to other communities just what is possible!
In this article, we are shining the spotlight on the Sabes Jewish Community Center and Hadassah Minneapolis in Minneapolis, and the Levine Jewish Community Center in Charlotte to highlight their incredible work to bring The Butterfly Project to life in their communities.

Sabes Jewish Community Center and Hadassah Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN

“When first hearing of The Butterfly Project at our Hadassah Chapter board meeting we were immediately taken by the ability to learn from the past and project this knowledge to the future. The important issue was to affect not only the Survivors who lost family during the Holocaust but to speak to those who are part of our future, the children. In creating this multi-generational event we have given breath and hope to our ability to overcome the worst and look to a more hopeful future without hate and bigotry. Whenever we can give hope and promote healing to our communities we need to seize the opportunity. Painting one butterfly for each of the 1.5 million children was our answer. Thank you to the initiators of this project, Cheryl Rattner Price and Jan Landau.” – Hadassah Midwest Region

From Robyn Awend, Director of Cultural Arts at Sabes JCC

The Sabes JCC and Hadassah Minneapolis partnered in presenting an outstanding NOT The Last Butterfly film screening event as a part of an international initiative featuring “The Butterfly”, a poem written by a young Pavel Friedmann, at Theresienstadt concentration camp on 4 June 1942. He died in Oswiecim* (Auschwitz) on September 29, 1944.
Over 85 children and adults attended this event. The participants learned about Hadassah Happenings, saw a short film featuring Holocaust education as well as an explanation of the origins of The Butterfly Project. They then had the opportunity to paint ceramic butterflies, each memorializing one of the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust. Participants later hung their unique butterflies as part of the exhibit now being displayed in the Tychman Shapiro Art Gallery at the JCC.
This exhibit will be displayed in the gallery until October 26th. Each of these butterflies, a message of remembrance, hope and transformation will eventually be a part of a permanent exhibit somewhere in the Sabes JCC. 

Please click here for more pictures of this exhibit.

Levine Jewish Community Center – Charlotte, NC

Since 2009, Levine JCC’s Margaret & Lou Schwartz Butterfly Garden Holocaust Memorial has invited students from all over North Carolina to their campus to participate in the lessons and art of The Butterfly Project. The students attend workshops to learn about the dangers of hatred and bigotry, and paint butterflies in honor of a child who was killed during the Holocaust. Some students’ butterflies are been included in a permanent installation on the Levine JCC campus. When finished, the sculpture will have 7,500 butterflies.

From the Levine JCC

“The Children’s Holocaust Memorial Sculpture, installed and dedicated in 2011 by artist Paul Rousso, has been covered over the years with the ceramic butterflies that our workshop participants paint, each in memory of a special child who was killed in the Holocaust. In Spring 2017, mosaic artists Patrick Robertson and Marilyn Barrier applied the butterflies to the last two emerging wings of the sculpture. A special thanks to the hands-on leadership of Wilma Asreal, Gwen Orland, Barbara Ziegler, Past Board President Judy August, Executive Directors Phil Berman and Peter Blair and the staff, donors and scores of volunteers in Charlotte for the nearly 8 years of their dedication and hard work from the moment they decided to join The Butterfly Project in 2009.

In October of this year, the Levine JCC brought our documentary film, NOT The Last Butterfly, to their community and screened the film to over 125 people. The film was very well received and everyone who attended very much enjoyed the program.

We are so moved and inspired by the passion and dedication each of these communities has shown in teaching their young people to remember the past, act responsibly in the present, and create a more peaceful future. We are honored they have invited The Butterfly Project to join them in their work to educate their communities and are excited to see what comes next for each of them, and for new communities who choose to follow in their footsteps!
If you would like to bring The Butterfly Project to your community, please email us for more information.

Did you know that The Butterfly Project is spreading its wings even wider and embarking on a new endeavor? We are, and we’re so excited to officially announce it! Called In Our Hands Teacher Training, our brand new ½ day teacher-training program represents a significant step for The Butterfly Project.

Globalizing a local experience

As we highlighted in a previous blog post, our invaluable Education Team brings their professional experience and rich personal stories into local San Diego classrooms, providing students with a once-in-a-lifetime butterfly project experience. In addition to painting butterflies, they teach age-appropriate lessons about the Holocaust (for older students) and bullying (for younger students), and share their parents’ personal stories of survival from concentration camps. We know how transformative these experiences are for these students and we want to ensure that students across the country and around the world can have a similar experience!

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Education Team member Judi Gottschalk introduces The Butterfly Project to teachers at a recent workshop.

That’s where our new In Our Hands Teacher Training workshop comes in!

For over 10 years, The Butterfly Project has supplied “butterfly kits” to schools near and far. These kits include ceramic butterflies and cards that share the story of a child killed in the Holocaust. These butterfly painting experiences are very powerful for students but while we directed teachers to educational resources, we never provided clear lesson plans to accompany the butterfly painting activity.
In early 2017, The Butterfly Project worked with our Education Team and Facing History and Ourselves, a world-renowned Holocaust Education organization, to build comprehensive lesson plans for teachers to use in conjunction with our butterfly painting activity. These lesson plans include stories of survival from Holocaust Survivors and second generation family members, allowing students across the country to hear the personal stories they may not otherwise have access to.
The K-5 curriculum was designed in a “staircase” format, in which each year builds on lessons from the previous year and takes kids from learning how to appreciate differences to recognizing bullying to understanding the power of one (click here to see K-5 staircase). The 6-12 curriculum integrates critical Holocaust-related lessons from Facing History and Ourselves with butterfly painting, and includes testimonies from Holocaust Survivors (click here to read about 6-12 lesson plans).

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Education Team member Arlene Keeyes teaches about being an upstander.

Cheryl Rattner Price, our Executive Director, is also working with Joe Fab to create an educational version of our documentary film NOT The Last Butterfly as a resource for teachers to use in their classrooms. We expect this resource to be available in early 2018.

Upcoming In Our Hands Teacher-Training Workshops

The Butterfly Project has spent 2017 designing the workshop and attending professional development conferences with both Facing History and Ourselves and Paper Clips’ teacher training workshop, One Clip At A Time in preparation for this new endeavor.
We will continue to pilot our teacher-training program through December 2017 and will officially launch this new product in early 2018. We are hosting our next pilot workshop on August 31 for National City School District. On October 28th we will again be presenting an In Our Hands Teacher-Training Workshop with Facing History.
If you would like to attend or know of an educator that might be interested in attending one of workshops in the San Diego or Los Angeles areas, please email us and let us know.
If you would like to bring In Our Hands Teacher-Training Workshop to your community in 2018, please click here to join our waiting list.
If you are interested in supporting the development of this program in particular in districts with little or no funding, please email Cheryl Rattner Price for more information.

A Special Thank You to Our Education Team

By Cheryl Rattner Price, Executive Director & Co-Founder
 
The Butterfly Project has many champions without whom this work would not be possible. But amongst all of our supporters, we want to take time this month to recognize a special group of women who stand out for all of their hard work, dedication, and tireless commitment to sharing The Butterfly Project’s message with students across the country.

Sonia Fox-Ohlbaum shows her father’s uniform from a concentration camp.

The Education Team

The Butterfly Project’s Education Team, made up of Co-Founder Jan Landau, Sonia Fox-Ohlbaum, Judi Gottschalk, and Arlene Keeyes, is a passionate group of retired educators who meet weekly to discuss, write and plan lessons and curriculum that enhance the The Butterfly Project classroom experience. Several team members are children of Holocaust Survivors and bring their parents’ personal stories and artifacts such as family photographs, a yellow star, and an even concentration camp uniform, into the classroom while presenting lessons.

The Education Team’s goal this year was to teach in as many San Diego based schools as possible. Due to an upswing in bullying and anti-Semitic incidents on school campuses, there was been an increased demand for The Butterfly Project’s experiential lessons this school year. The Education Team responded to these demands in a powerful way, designing appropriate lessons geared to each grade level and using each of their unique voices and experiences to take on certain segments of the lesson plan.
Co-Founder Jan Landau teaching students lessons from the Holocaust.

Inside the Classroom

The Education Team presented in 45 classrooms in San Diego-based schools in the 2016-2017 school year. School districts that participated in The Butterfly Project in 2016-2017 include: Lakeside Union School District; Santee School District; San Diego Unified School District; Cajon Valley Union School District; Hebrew Academy, Huntington Beach; Beth El; San Diego Jewish Academy.

Gompers Preparatory Academy, a Charter School in San Diego Unified that has partnered with UCSD, was a unique experience for the team. In Sonia’s words…

“Arlene and I had the incredible pleasure of teaching 5 classes about the Holocaust to Gompers Preparatory Academy. Never in all of our years of presenting did we have such a welcome. The hallways had hanging butterfly mobiles, doors had welcome signs and walls were covered in posters students had created for their Holocaust Projects. At the invitation of Mary Davis, all 8th graders had the opportunity to meet with us so we could share our primary source materials and our lessons.

As each student painted a butterfly, they went around the room and stood with pride, as they became the voice of a child that perished in the Holocaust. On their table was a centerpiece that a group of students had created. One was a gas chamber, another a concentration camp, an old fashioned camera, and a replica of a sculpture called the Shoes on the Danube River.

We have already agreed to return next year and will continue to make this an annual event.”

Arlene Keeyes teaches students the difference between being an upstander and being a bystander.

The Education Team also visited students at DePortola Middle School in San Diego. Parent Sandra Bever wrote an article for the Tierra Times about the profound impact our Education Team made on students at the school (click on images to read article).

Read it here

Outside the Classroom

The Education Team has been busy outside of the classroom, as well. In addition to school visits, the Education team has focused on writing K-5 curriculum that is aligned with the Common Core Standards and grade specific. This curriculum articulates and spirals upwards and builds on various themes. These themes include:

The Education Team also had an exhibit booth at the California Social Studies Conference in Sacramento in May, which led to an invitation to present at the National Social Studies Conference in November. So much excitement and involvement in the project was generated after the California conference, and we expect that level of enthusiasm to only grow after the national conference. The Education Team also made presentations to adult groups this year, including San Diego’s Jewish Family Service and various synagogue groups in San Diego.
 

Praise for the Education Team

One indisputable fact evidencing their amazing work is the feedback we receive. Here are just a few quotes we’ve received from both teachers and students after the Education Team has visited a classroom:

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“I believe it was the pictures and stories of the children that make it all ”real” to my students. Saying their names and reading their stories brought a depth of connection and that would not have occurred other wise.” – Carrie Butler, 3rd grade public school teacher
 

“Mrs. Keeyes and Mrs. Landau brought a very painful and horrific era in history to the forefront in a way that was powerful to the students. Seeing the clothing worn in the concentration camps, seeing the 6 pointed ‘Jude’ in person had powerful visual impact. Hearing Arlene Keeyes sweet voice read Eve Bunting’s book about the Holocaust helped the students empathize with the Jewish children. However, I believe it was the pictures and stories of the children (on the bio / picture cards) that made it all ‘real’ to my students. Saying their names, reading their stories brought a depth of connection that would not have occurred otherwise. Painting the butterflies was beautiful and cathartic for my students. Having a beautiful way to demonstrate respect for these precious lives empowered them to remember the delicate lives that were lost.” – Anonymous*
 

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“I pledge to be an upstander by defending what is right and speaking up for people who can’t. I will not stand by and watch. Like Theodore Roosevelt said, “ Knowing what is right doesn’t mean much unless you do what is right.” – Student at DePortolo Elementary School

“The generosity of the presenters who shared their personal artifacts touched us all. They will make us never forget.” – Anonymous*

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“Arlene Keeyes, Sonia Fox-Ohlbaum, and Jan Landau changed my life. Three retired teachers taught me to be a better person (a better Jew) and gave me an understanding of the Holocaust I never imagined. I am 63 years young. Thank you for reaching out to me. I appreciate what your organization does and one day somewhere I will see one of the ceramic butterflies and know what they mean. For that my heartfelt gratitude.” – Don Y., Laguna Niguel, CA

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“When I had my students write year end reflections many listed the butterfly project as their favorite activity all year in art class. The presentation was VERY well done because the way the subject matter was handled was really age appropriate.” – Anonymous*
 

A Heartfelt Thank You

While it goes without saying that The Butterfly Project is incredibly appreciative of the dedication and commitment that the Education Team continues to display, it is important that we take a moment to shine the spotlight on these incredible women. It is important that we not just honor them for their hard work, but acknowledge the unique talents each one brings to her work with The Butterfly Project. To the women of the Education Team, I want to say thank you… you have made The Butterfly Project an unparalleled classroom experience and for that we are forever grateful.
 

*The Butterfly Project collects feedback through an anonymous survey after each classroom visit. These testimonials were taken from that survey.

By Christine Tomasello, Director of Operations

In 2017, The Butterfly Project’s wings spread far and wide by participating in Yom HaShoah and Holocaust Remembrance events around the country. Several schools, JCCs, and community organizations from 16 different cities across the US incorporated The Butterfly Project in their Yom HaShoah activities, bringing people together to paint butterflies in honor of the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.

This Year’s Yom HaShoah Events

Valley Outreach Synagogue Center for Jewish Life (Calabasas, CA) hosted a butterfly painting event and film screening of NOT The Last Butterfly that included a Q&A session with our Executive Director, Cheryl Rattner Price. Julie Goren, a congregation member who saw the NOT The Last Butterfly at the Museum of Tolerance screening in 2016, held on to her vision of bringing it to her community for a year.

Julie thought The Butterfly Project was a perfect activity to commemorate Yom HaShoah and knew that the painted butterflies would be a very special addition to their new building. VOS selected The Butterfly Project event to be their very first outside program in their brand new space. Under the direction of Julie and VOS Education Director, Carla Adivi (JEWELS Program Director), VOS congregation members ranging from young children to grandparents painted 360 butterflies that will be used to create a permanent installation at their synagogue. The participation of several local Survivors made the event that much more meaningful and special. In their congregation’s newsletter, Carla said that, 

“The Butterfly Project provides a timely opportunity for community members to contribute to the collective memory of so many young lives who never had a chance to take flight due to discrimination and intolerance… We are honored to participate and invite all to paint a butterfly to add to this global installation of remembrance and hope.”

The Butterfly Project was honored to be included in several other significant Yom HaShoah ceremonies as well – each one each one memorable in its own way, and each one bringing us closer to our global goal of 1.5 million butterflies…

  • San Diego Jewish Academy held an event in which students painted butterflies with Holocaust Survivors.
Survivor Hanna Marx with students from San Diego Jewish Academy
Survivor Hanna Marx with students from San Diego Jewish Academy
  • The Eisenhower Foundation and Presidential Library, in Abilene, KS, showed the film and painted butterflies in early April. They had full houses both days of their screenings for the public and 8th grade screenings, and the Arts Council of Dickinson County created a unique mural in their downtown storefront.
Butterfly installation at the Eisenhower Foundation & Library
Butterfly installation at the Eisenhower Foundation & Library
Participants paint butterflies at Shames JCC on the Hudson Yom HaShoah event
Painted butterflies circle I Never Saw Another Butterfly book
  • JCC Manhattan brought The Butterfly Project into their Jewish Journey Project by hosting a film screening and butterfly painting.
  • Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh brought their community together to paint over 400 butterflies that will be part of installations that will be built in multiple locations in their city.
Washington Middle School student painting a butterfly.
Washington Middle School student painting a butterfly
  • Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in Wynnewood, PA and Congregation Chaverim in Tucson, AZ hosted butterfly painting events for their congregation members.
  • Lori Ripps from B’nai Israel Synagogue paired a special presentation of the play I Never Saw Another Butterfly by the Pensacola High School Theater Troupe 4750 with The Butterfly Project and they painted and displayed butterflies with the audience.
Congregation Chaverim displays their painted butterflies
Congregation Chaverim displays their painted butterflies

The Butterfly Project is honored to be included in these very special ceremonies and events of remembrance, and we deeply appreciate every organization that has brought us into their community. Our film NOT The Last Butterfly is helping us to share more deeply about our history and purpose, all of which is helping increase our impact dramatically with students learning about the 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust and empowering them to stand up for a more peaceful world today.

NEW CAMPAIGN SEEKS TO MANDATE ​HOLOCAUST EDUCATION IN ALL 50 STATES

 
Partnering with award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Fab, Executive Director Cheryl Rattner Price and The Butterfly Project are calling for all 50 states to mandate Holocaust education in the public schools, to combat a rise in hate crimes nationwide that spiked around the presidential election.

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, we are urging residents in every state to call and write to their governors and demand that the Holocaust is taught in public schools. Currently only eight states require some form of Holocaust education in the public schools. It is vital that U.S. schools teach young people about the Holocaust at a time when there’s a marked increase in reported hate crimes and anti-Semitism nationwide.
The call for the public to lobby local government for Holocaust education in public schools is beginning with an initial 100-day phase, in which we are seeking to partner with Holocaust museums across the country and organizations that currently focus on Holocaust education. We will increase our reach with schools and institutions, starting with getting the word our through our network of participants with the new film and school conferences.
We originally issued the call on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, during a screening at the JCC Manhattan of our documentary film, NOT The Last Butterfly. The film tells the story of The Butterfly Project and serves as a call-to-action for viewers to join us in our mission.
Fab is also the director of the Emmy nominated and award-winning “Paper Clips”, about a Tennessee school project to fill a replica of a Nazi freight train full of millions of paper clips, one for each victim of the Holocaust. The students chose paper clips because Norwegians wore them during the Nazi occupation as a symbol of resistance.
We understand the challenges of igniting a public campaign to lobby state leaders to mandate Holocaust education, since the current education system is focused on performance assessments, especially in the core subjects of reading, math and science, so teaching is focused on testing. That leaves little room for other curricula, and there is no standard for education policy across the states.
 

Holocaust education is more relevant than ever

 
In January 2017 alone, Jewish Community Centers in 18 states received bomb threats, the latest series of anti-Semitic incidents to strike nationwide. The Anti-Defamation League reported 2.6 million anti-Semitism tweets during the 2016 presidential election, with 800 Jewish journalists targeted. In the 10 days after the election of Donald J. Trump as president, 867 hate crimes were reported, 100 of those ant-Semitic in nature, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
While NOT The Last Butterfly focuses on remembrance and hope, our education initiative will help push a national effort to ensure that student learn the lessons of the Holocaust and the importance of standing up to hatred of all kinds.
Lessons of the Holocaust apply not just to anti-Semitism, but to every aspect of our lives – including the dangers we see today to non-Jewish citizens as well as threats to our morals and values — and even to the survival of our democracy.
“Holocaust education is a vital tool in the defense of our democracy and critical to helping our young people learn to stand up to demagoguery and evil. Starting in the next 100 days, we should all choose to reach out to our state and local elected officials and advocate for requiring that the Holocaust must be taught in all 50 states.