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