ARTS&LIFE
ON THE COVER
L
ast September, the Conference on Jewish
Material Claims Against Germany conducted
a nationwide survey on Holocaust knowl-
edge of American millennials (born 1980-
1995) and Generation Z (born afterward). The results
showed a “worrying lack of basic Holocaust knowl-
edge,” including over 1 in 10 respondents who did not
recall ever having heard the word “Holocaust” before.
Some 63% of those surveyed did not know that 6
million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and over
half of those thought the death toll was 2 million or
fewer.
Another troubling revelation was the 49% surveyed
that have seen Holocaust denial or distortion posts on
social media or elsewhere online.
A consistent bright spot across all the survey find-
ings, though, is the desire for Holocaust education:
64% of all U.S. Millennials and Gen Z believe that
Holocaust education should be compulsory in school.
Additionally, 80% of all respondents believe it is
important to continue teaching about the Holocaust so
Young eyes contemplate the Holocaust.
Trains
and Tears
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
44 | JUNE 17 • 2021
Documentary director
Keith Famie engineers
the filming of the
unveiling of Hailey
Callahan’s train
car artwork at the
Holocaust Memorial
Center.
COURTESY OF KEITH FAMIE