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WATCHERS
OF THE S

Teaching About
The Holocaust

Michigan legislature considers bills to enhance
genocide education.

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INSTITUTE
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14 November 20 • 2014

Shari S. Cohen
Special to the Jewish News

ichigan's public schools
are likely to expand and
enhance Holocaust and
genocide education if Senate Bill 5778
and House Bill 1075 pass during the
post-election legislative session.
The bills recommend six hours
of annual instruction about the
Holocaust and genocide for eighth-
through 12th-graders in public
schools, including charter schools.
Questions about the Holocaust and
genocide would be included in the
Michigan Merit Exam (MME) and
Michigan Education
Assessment Program
(MEAP) tests begin-
ning in 2015.
Several local
Jewish organiza-
tions and interested
individuals, includ-
ing the Holocaust
Sen. Randy
Memorial Center in
Richardville
Farmington Hills
and the Greater
Detroit Section of
National Council
of Jewish Women
(NCJW), established
an educational and
advocacy coali-
tion, Genocide and
Rep. Klint
Holocaust Education
Kesto
Now!, to promote the
legislation. Michigan
Senate Majority Leader Randy
Richardville, R-Monroe, and Rep.
Klint Kesto, R-Commerce Township,
are the bills' sponsors.
Cheryl Guyer, director of develop-
ment at the Holocaust Memorial
Center, credits lawyer Lori Talsky as
a key champion of the legislation and
a member of the coalition's steering
committee. "She is passionate about
Holocaust and genocide education,
which are an opportunity for us to cre-
ate a more humane world," Guyer said.
Talsky and her husband, Alan
Zekelman, are major supporters of the
Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman
Family Campus. Guyer hopes that the
Holocaust Center can "be the state

I

resource for curricula for Holocaust
and genocide instruction:'
Richardville was motivated to spon-
sor the legislation in part because
of his visits to Yad Vashem, the
Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.
"It was one of the most moving
experiences in my life," he said. "It
is the most horrific example of what
man can do to each other, and I think
it's a real important lesson that all
Americans should be exposed to:'
Richardville feels a strong connec-
tion with the Jewish community and
has been a presenter at the state leg-
islature's annual Holocaust memorial
observance.
Kesto has many Jewish and
Chaldean constituents in his district
and views the proposed legislation as
a response to current world events.
"Look at what's happening in Iraq
with heinous, horrific acts being com-
mitted against children, women and
old people who are targeted because
of their religious beliefs" he said.
"It is another repeat of history. We
have to make sure that our children
understand what happened beyond
just the rhetoric 'never again:"

Limited Knowledge

The Genocide and Holocaust
Education Now! coalition conducted
third-party research to determine
the extent and impact of Holocaust
and genocide education in Michigan.
While almost all school districts
reported that they provide some
instruction about these topics, surveys
of young people indicated that their
understanding is limited.
"They know that Hitler was a bad
guy and wanted to kill the Jews but
don't understand
the political, social
and moral aspects of
the Holocaust, and
only one in five high
school graduates
in Michigan could
identify any genocide
occurring during the
Judith Kovach last 50 years:' said
Judith Kovach Ph.D.,
project coordinator for Genocide and
Holocaust Education Now!

Cathy Cantor, co-chair of NCJW
state policy advo-
cates, said that some
of its members were
inspired by the
video 94 Maidens

— The Mandate,

which documented
Pennsylvania
students' lack of
Cathy Cantor
knowledge about
the Holocaust. Many
were unable to identify when or where
the Holocaust occurred or name a
concentration camp, she said.
Twenty-four states require
Holocaust and genocide education.
"Michigan has been silent on this
and it's an important
issue," said Sharon
Lipton, co-chair,
NCJW state policy
advocates. "Even
though it's taught in
the schools, these
bills would provide a
recommended num-
Sharon Lipton
ber of hours:'
While most supporters of the
Michigan bills would prefer a state
mandate rather than a recommen-
dation for Holocaust and genocide
education, Richardville said that local
schools districts do pay attention to
legislated educational guidelines.
Mandating these curricula could
generate charges of an "unfunded
state mandate" and potential lawsuits
by local school districts.

Legislative Outlook

The Michigan Senate Education
Committee heard public testimony on
SB 1075 in October, and Richardville
expects its passage before year's end.
According to Kesto, the Michigan
House Education Committee will con-
sider it in the lame-duck session.
The Michigan Board of Education
Legislative Committee is scheduled to
discuss the legislation this month, and
the board may take a position on it,
according to Kathleen Strauss, a board
member and former president of the
Jewish Community Relations Council
of Metropolitan Detroit.

❑

