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.