ACT NOW:
Support the Holocaust Assistance Education Act

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) have introduced the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act (S. 963 and H.R. 1092 respectively). This bill would authorize the Department of Education to give grants of $2 million a year, for the next five years, to educational organizations to supplement their Holocaust programs.

The Holocaust is one of the greatest tragedies in world history. After the Holocaust the Jewish community reaffirmed our communal commitment to fighting genocide and hatred. Holocaust education is essential to building a society and a world where all people are aware of the evils of hatred and the potential for human destruction. Many states and communities have undertaken teaching of the Holocaust because of the universal educational messages which arise out of this particular time in history. This bill would provide federal resources for non-profit educational organizations to provide and enhance their Holocaust Education programming, and give more teachers and students the opportunity to meaningfully engage in this material.

In the past several years, there has been a rise in historical revisionism, particularly dealing with the Holocaust. Last year, we saw the President of Iran sponsor a conference on Holocaust denial. In this light, it is even more important that we provide the necessary resources to educate all Americans on the atrocities that have occurred so that they may never happen again. Agencies within the Jewish federation system may be eligible for grants.

Action: Please contact Senator Menendez to thank him for introducing this legislation, and thank Senator Lautenberg and Representative Ferguson for being early supporters of it. Please contact your Representative and ask him to cosponsor the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act.

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