Issue Position: Education - Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act

Issue Position

The Holocaust marked a disgraceful time in history plagued by ruthless murder and unwavering intolerance. An estimated 11 million people were systematically killed by the Nazis including Jews, gypsies, the disabled and mentally ill, homosexuals, and others who did not fit the Aryan mold. As the generations who survived the Holocaust pass away, I have pledged to help ensure that our nation's youth never forget the darkness and death that stem from intolerance. We need to make sure that those who would deny the existence of the Holocaust do not have the ability to rewrite history. This is why I have introduced the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act. Through grants to qualifying education organizations the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act, would help to promote awareness of the Holocaust and the devastating effects of hate crimes.

This bill, named after the honored Holocaust survivor who spent his life's work devoted to seeking justice for the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis, seeks to provide competitive grants for educational organizations working to teach today's youth the lessons of the Holocaust. Through grants from the Department of Education, Holocaust organization programs that are designed to specifically improve the awareness of the Holocaust through such means as classes, seminars, conferences, educational materials, and teacher training, can apply for federal funds to assist in carrying out these initiatives.

Several states now require that the Holocaust be taught in public school curriculum. Though there are resources such as the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, and similar museums in a few other cities, many teachers are still left with the challenge of teaching a complicated subject without the expertise. Many Holocaust educational organizations have risen to meet this demand, but their resources are limited, hindering their outreach. The Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act will provide more resources to these organizations, who have the expertise and knowledge of the tragic events during the Nazi era, to teach more students, teachers and communities the dangers of inter-group conflict and the importance of tolerance in our society.

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