APRIL 27 • 2023 | 9

lenge intolerant behavior. 
Collectively, this helps to 
build a better society.
Researchers also probed 
whether how one learned 
about the Holocaust was 
predictive of one’s belief 
in anti-Jewish tropes. 
Antisemitism thrives on a 
complex ecosystem of myths 
and tropes which perpetuate 
false stereotypes and inflame 
viewpoints against Jewish 
people.
Respondents who indicat-
ed their school taught spe-
cifically about the Holocaust 
endorsed the fewest anti-Jew-
ish statements (3.8, on aver-
age).
This is consistent with 
past findings that showed 
those who get their informa-
tion about the world from 
mainstream news outlets 
had lower rates of belief in 
anti-Jewish ideas than those 
who received their infor-
mation from the internet or 
other sources.
This suggests that learning 
about the Holocaust in a con-

trolled, educational setting, 
using high quality Holocaust 
curricula delivered by pro-
fessional educators may help 
mitigate antisemitic senti-
ments and beliefs.
It is crucial for educators 
to not only teach the facts 
and history of the Holocaust, 
but also address the under-
lying sources of hate and 
antisemitism that still exist 
today. By acknowledging and 
discussing these issues in the 
classroom, students can gain 
a deeper understanding of 
the impact of hate and the 
importance of combating it.
Furthermore, it is essential 
for educators to address the 
prevalence of mis/disinfor-
mation online and teach 
students how to critically 
evaluate sources. This is par-
ticularly important consider-
ing the rise of false informa-
tion being spread about the 
Holocaust and other histori-
cal events.
A recent study found that 
schools that only briefly 
mentioned the Holocaust had 

students who endorsed an 
average of 4.8 tropes, indicat-
ing a lack of understanding 
and potentially harmful 
beliefs. By acknowledging 
and discussing these issues in 
the classroom, students can 
gain a deeper understand-
ing of the impact of hatred, 
antisemitism and intolerance.
Our research indicates 
that a relationship between 
Holocaust knowledge 
and antisemitism may be 
explained in part by conspir-
atorial thinking more gen-
erally. Holocaust education 
seeks to dismiss conspirato-
rial thinking by using sound 
pedagogy on teaching about 
this event, and also linking 
this event to contemporary 
instances of antisemitism in 
the modern era. 
Thus, building a fluid 
historical arc for students 
to grapple with the long 
history of antisemitism as 
conspiratorial thinking, and 
the importance of media 
literacy in ascertaining mis/
disinformation, motivation, 
and implementation when 
consuming content online.
A body of research has 
shown that those who believe 
one conspiracy theory are 
more likely to endorse 
other conspiracy theories. 
CAR research supports 
this conclusion: those who 
embraced conspiratorial ideas 
like the Great Replacement 
Theory, were inclined to 
endorse more antisemitic 
ideas, which often take the 
form of a conspiracy theory 
about alleged Jewish power 
and subterfuge.
Holocaust denialism and 
distortion often include ele-
ments of conspiracism, fre-
quently based in the fantasy 
that Jews invented or exag-
gerated the Holocaust as part 
of some nefarious agenda. 

ALL JEWS ARE RESPONSIBLE 
FOR ONE ANOTHER 
continued from page 6

or an Israeli Jew is murdered in Tel 
Aviv, it is my problem in London. 
We are Jews. We are one. In the 
past, it has been easy for Jews to 
feel safe and secure because their 
immediate circumstances were not 
threatened. But what about the 
global Jewish experience? 
What about the global Jewish 
community?
In my work promoting Jewish 
Pride, I have been told that many 
Jews in America believe we should 
just keep quiet about Jew-hate. 
This should be patently absurd to 
anyone who has been watching 
the recent evolution of the Jewish-
American experience. I also find 
it fairly callous. Even if American 
Jews were safe and secure — and 
they are not — there are other Jews 
all over the world whose safety is 
threatened every day.
The outpouring of grief over 
the heinous murders of Lucy, Rina 
and Maia Dee reminded me of the 
Jewish saying, “Kol yisrael arevim 
zeh bazeh”—“
All of Israel are 
responsible for one another.
” 
The Dee family’s request to share 
a photo of an Israeli flag on social 
media was taken up by Jews all over 
the world, regardless of their politi-
cal affiliations. They stood together 
to pay tribute to the victims of 
those evil murders and show their 
support for the Jewish people.
This sent a clear message: We 
are diverse, but we are one. We are 
a collective and we are responsible 
for one another. To live up to this, 
we must reject non-Jewish attempts 
to shame us for our specificity and 
connection. We must not allow 
them to frame our Jewishness as 
something we should reject.
We have a responsibility to one 
another, and there is nothing wrong 
with that. We are lucky to be part of 
such a connected people, and this is 
not something we should forget. 

Ben M. Freeman is the author of Jewish 

Pride: Rebuilding a People and Reclaiming 

our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride.

