WASHINGTON D.C. (NEXSTAR) – There’s a push in Congress to teach all U.S. school children about the Holocaust. Right now, only eight states mandate it’s a subject that has to be taught.
With the number of hate crimes on the rise, congressional leaders say now is the time to get a bill like this passed including Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan.
“We must deny the purveyors of antisemitism the opportunity to spread this hate amongst our students,” Buchanan said.
Ellen Hershkin the president of Hadassah is strongly pushing for the Never Again Education Act.
“So the Never Again Education Act is very important to us because it is a foundation on which we can educate people against antisemitism, bigotry, hate,” Hershkin said. “We have to let our young people especially, and the educators have the resources, because we’re lacking the funding.”
If passed, the legislation would create a special fund of 2-million dollars dedicated to expanding holocaust education.
The FBI says the most recent data shows most hate crime victims are targeted because of their religion.
Gretchen Skidmore is an educator at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum says lack of resources shouldn’t hinder a student’s chance to learn about this part of history.
“We have a great deal of faith in the educators on the ground and we just want to make sure they have what they need to respond to the needs to their student populations,” Skidmore said.
Supporters hope the bill gets a vote before then end of this legislative session.