WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, released the following statement in response to the findings of the “first 50-state survey of Holocaust knowledge among millennials and Generation Z.” The Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Study, released yesterday by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), found that a majority of young Americans lacked even basic facts about one of history’s darkest chapters.
“Failing to educate young Americans about the gravity and scope of the Holocaust does a disservice to the memory of its victims and to our duty to ensure that ‘Never Again’ means never again for anyone,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “This survey’s shocking findings demonstrate the importance and urgency of implementing the recently-enacted Never Again Education Act, bipartisan legislation I introduced to provide educators with the tools to teach our students the important lessons of the Holocaust. I will continue working in Congress to combat the scourge of hate wherever it rears its ugly head.”
BACKGROUND: Some of the survey’s startling findings among Americans under 40 include:
- Over 1 in 10 respondents not recalling ever having heard the word “Holocaust” before;
- Sixty-three percent of respondents not knowing that 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust;
- Nearly half of respondents could not name a single one of the over 40,000 concentration camps and ghettos established by the Nazi regime during World War II.
Senator Rosen holds the distinction of being the third female Jewish Senator in U.S. history, as well as the first former synagogue president to serve in the United States Senate. As such, Senator Rosen has been an outspoken advocate of combating anti-Semitism in the United States, the Middle East, Europe, and around the world.
In 2019, Senator Rosen introduced the Never Again Education Act alongside Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). This bipartisan legislation, signed into law this past May, establishes a dedicated federal fund through the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to provide teachers with resources and training necessary to teach our students the important lessons of the Holocaust.
Last year, Rosen launched the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, with co-chair Senator James Lankford (R-OK). The Task Force now includes 38 Senators, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
###
