Mending The Broken Heart What They Don't Know The following are results from a survey by Jennifer Golub and Renae Cohen of the American Jewish. Committee. Conducted in November 1992 by the Roper Organization, the survey polled 992 adults and high-school students across the country. All figures below are in percentages. 1) "As far as you know, what does the term 'the Holocaust' refer to?" ADULTS STUDENTS Extermination/murder/ persecucution/treatment of Jews by Hitler/Nazis/Germans 24 17 Extermination/murder/ persecution of Jews 30 23 Other relevant responses (includes death camps, World War II, Germans) 7 Others 10 14 Don't know/no answer 28 39 RESPONSE 2) "Many Jews in Europe were forced to wear a symbol on their clothes during the Second World War. What was it?" ADULTS STUDENTS Swastika 22 21 Hammer and sickle 4 2 Yellow star 42 42 Red cross 3 4 Other 1 1 Don't know/no answer 29 31 RESPONSE 3) "In your view, how important is it for Americans to know about and understand the Holocaust — is it essential, very important, only somewhat important or not important?" ADULTS STUDENTS Essential 33 26 Very important 39 38 Only somewhat important 13 18 Not important 2 3 Don't know/no answer 13 15 T J EWIS H NEWS RESPONSE 4) "In your view, how likely is it that the Jewish people could be subject to another Holocaust somewhere in the world in coming years — very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely?" STUDENTS RESPONSE ADULTS Very likely 13 7 Somewhat likely 28 22 Not very likely 43 51 Don't know/no answer 17 21 (see adjacent story, "What Will the History Books Say?"). Soon after its release, Facing History was attacked by a number of groups and individuals, including Eagle Forum leader Phyllis Schlafly. One of the charges: the curriculum did not offer the Nazis' perspective. Professor Bolkosky's Life Unworthy of Life, which includes the option of five, 11 or 18 lessons, depending on the teacher's time and interest, is now used in schools throughout the United States. Peter Nagourney served as supervisor of the Life project and was responsible for its editing, design and production. He now man- ages its distribution and helps teachers implement the curriculum into their classes. Educators learn about Life through a number of sources, from brochures to mailings to the U.S. Depart- ment of Education's Na- tional Diffusion Network. The network, which in 1990 Life added Unworthy of Life to its ros- ter, singles out exemplary and innovative teaching pro- grams in the United States. It awards grants to selected curricula, then disseminates informa- tion about each in a publica- tion, Educational Programs That Work. The Diffusion Network praises the Life curriculum, which includes textbooks, instructor's manual and videotapes of survivors, not- ing that students are "sig- nificantly better able to express in writing conse- quences of indifference toward the mistreatment of others; demonstrate reduced prejudice toward minority groups; and show greater gains in historical knowl- edge of the Holocaust than comparison groups." Teachers also benefit, being "significantly more inclined and able to teach the topic of the Holocaust in depth than teachers in comparison groups." Despite the endorsement, J ( Barb Demlow and some of her teaching materials.