RELEASE: Gottheimer Leads Reintroduction of Bipartisan Holocaust Education Bill on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) reintroduced the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act in the House with 61 original cosponsors. This bipartisan legislation will direct the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts in public schools nationwide.
There is growing evidence that knowledge about the Holocaust is fading. A recent survey on global antisemitic attitudes found that 20% of respondents had never heard of the Holocaust. Less than half of respondents recognize the Holocaust’s historical accuracy, dropping to 39% among those aged 18 to 34 — highlighting the troubling decline in Holocaust education and awareness among younger generations.
The bipartisan bill is led by Gottheimer and co-led by Reps. Dan Goldman (NY-10), Michael McCaul (TX-10), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), and Young Kim (CA-40).
The HEAL Act will:
- Determine which states and school districts require or do not require Holocaust education in their curriculum;
- Determine which states and school districts offer optional Holocaust education;
- Identify the standards and requirements schools mandate on this Holocaust education;
- Determine the range of intended outcomes from a Holocaust education lesson plan and whether public schools use certain qualitative and quantitative strategies in their Holocaust education;
- Identify the types and quality of instructional materials used to teach about the Holocaust
- Identify in what school disciplines Holocaust education is being taught and the duration and comprehensiveness of any Holocaust-related courses/lessons provided by public schools;
- Identify the approaches used by schools to assess what students learn; and
- Report the results of the study to Congress.
Find the legislative text of the bipartisan HEAL Act here.
“We cannot — and we must not — ever ignore the stunning rise in antisemitism and Holocaust denial — across Europe, around the world, and increasingly, here at home in the United States, including the violent, antisemitic attacks we have experienced in my own home state of New Jersey and around the country,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “The mounting evidence that knowledge about the Holocaust is beginning to fade should also alarm us all. That is why I’m proud to be reintroducing the HEAL Act — bipartisan legislation asking the Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts in public schools nationwide. We have an obligation to try to heal our communities and teach future generations about this stain of hatred, so that ‘Never Again’ is not just a phrase, but a reality.”
“Like thousands of others, my dad fought in World War II to end the scourge of antisemitism, and it is now our responsibility to ensure it does not return. With antisemitic incidents on the rise across the nation, it’s imperative that we improve Holocaust education and remind our youth about the horrors of antisemitism. This bill will do just that, ensuring future generations of Americans are equipped and empowered to stand up for what is right,” said Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-10).
“The alarming rise in antisemitism around the world has made it painfully clear that the words ‘Never Forget’ have lost their resonance, and far too many have forgotten the horrors of the Holocaust,” said Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10). “We have a responsibility to educate the next generation of Americans about the atrocities inflicted upon the Jewish people by the Nazis. I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the bipartisan HEAL Act, which will help ensure that schools across the nation adequately teach the history of the Holocaust to millions of American children. Antisemitic hate ultimately stems from ignorance, and education in our public schools is essential to combating it.”
“The only way to ensure the horrors of the Holocaust are never repeated, is through education, especially given the recent dramatic rise in antisemitism,” said Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11). “That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the HEAL Act, which will help identify gaps in Holocaust education in the United States and identify areas for improvement. Every student in Michigan and across the country must learn about this period of history so those who perished are never forgotten and this evil may never happen again.”
“As we mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz and see rising antisemitism across the country – especially on college campuses – we are reminded of the dire need to ensure the horrors of the Holocaust are taught and stories are passed down for future generations. We cannot allow history to repeat itself,” said Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40). “The HEAL Act will allow us to explore the status of Holocaust education in the United States, so we can improve educational outcomes, counter antisemitism, and ultimately ensure never again truly means never again.”
“The alarming increase in antisemitic rhetoric and violence in our educational institutions over the past year serves as a serious warning about the dangers of allowing history’s most important lessons to fade away,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1). “The Holocaust, one of humanity’s darkest periods, has too often been minimized or overlooked in education. As a result, our youth are left ill-equipped to recognize and confront the insidious forces of hatred and bigotry that threaten our society. Our bipartisan HEAL Act aims to ensure that future generations learn the complete truth about the Holocaust. By doing so, we will equip them with the knowledge and moral courage to recognize prejudice, challenge injustice, and uphold the values that protect our shared humanity. Education is our strongest defense against repeating history’s gravest mistakes.”
Currently, while 29 states have laws requiring public school students to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust, 21 continue to lack comprehensive or mandatory Holocaust education laws. This gap in standardized Holocaust education is particularly concerning as antisemitism surges to unprecedented levels around the country. The Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) most recent Audit of Antisemitic Incidents captured 8,873 incidents throughout the U.S. — a 140% increase from 2022 and the highest number on record since ADL began tracking these events in 1979.
The need for Holocaust education has never been more urgent. On October 7, 2023, Hamas brutally murdered more than 1,200 men, women, and children — including 46 Americans — in the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. This horrific attack, combined with rising antisemitism and declining Holocaust awareness, underscores why Holocaust education is one of the most powerful tools we have to confront this hatred and ignorance.
The HEAL Act is being co-sponsored by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Don Bacon (NE-2), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Brendan Boyle (PA-2), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jim Costa (CA-21), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Don Davis (NC-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Val Hoyle (OR-4), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Thomas Kean (NJ-07), David Kustoff (TN-08), Nick LaLota (NY-1), Greg Landsman (OH-1), George Latimer (NY-16), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Seth Magaziner (RI-2), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Grace Meng (NY-6), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Seth Moulton (MA-6), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-09), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Dina Titus (NV-01), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), David Valadao (CA-22), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Randy Weber (TX-14).
The HEAL Act has been endorsed by ADL (Anti-Defamation League), American Jewish Committee (AJC), B’nai Brith International, Combating Antisemitism Movement (CAM), Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Jewish Women International (JWI), The Orthodox Union, Agudath Israel of America, National Council of Jewish Women, The Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP), The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), Union for Reform Judaism.
“Holocaust education is not just about preserving history—it fosters empathy, underscores the fragility of democracy, teaches about the role of antisemitism as Nazi ideology and the importance of bearing witness. ADL’s Center for Antisemitism Research (CAR) survey results reveals alarming gaps in Holocaust knowledge, with nearly 6 in 10 Americans under 30 unable to identify how many Jews were murdered, and 1 in 4 adults saying they ‘don’t know.’ ADL applauds Reps. Gottheimer, McCaul, Goldman, Fitzpatrick, Stevens, and Kim for so quickly reintroducing the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act and urges swift passage of this important bill to ensure every student has access to comprehensive Holocaust education,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.
“American Jewish Committee (AJC) surveyed adults in the United States and found that only 53% of Americans over the age of 18 knew that approximately six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Knowing about the Holocaust contributes to understanding and confronting antisemitism in the United States. We applaud Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), and Young Kim (R-CA) for introducing the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act. We also appreciate their commitment to supporting educators throughout the country and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in its mission to ensure the Holocaust is taught accurately and comprehensively,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.
“At National Council of Jewish Women, we know the impact antisemitism has on children, on families, on entire communities. When children grow up in a world where dangerous biases and misinformation about Jewish history and identity spread, they inherit a legacy of fear and division,” said Sheila Katz, CEO of National Council of Jewish Women. “We cannot allow hate to take root in their hearts or futures. Education is one of the most powerful tools to combat antisemitism. The HEAL Act is a critical step toward expanding Holocaust education nationwide, teaching future generations the truth about the Holocaust and the dangers of antisemitism, and empowering our children to build a better world rooted in safety, compassion, and justice for all.
“B’nai B’rith International welcomes the introduction of the bipartisan HEAL Act at a time of rising anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. The fact that knowledge of the Holocaust continues to recede with each generation speaks to the exigency of educating young people about the dangers of anti-Semitic hatred. We thank Reps. Gottheimer, McCaul, Goldman, Fitzpatrick, Stevens, and Kim for leading this crucial bill and strongly urge other members of Congress to add their voices to this timely effort,” said Rabbi Eric Fusfield, Director of Legislative Affairs at B’nai B’rith International.
“Jewish Women International applauds Representatives Gottheimer, Goldman, Stevens, Kim, McCaul, and Fitzpatrick for their leadership in introducing the HEAL Act to strengthen Holocaust education across the nation,” said Meredith Jacobs, CEO of Jewish Women International. “At a time when Americans are alarmingly uneducated about the Holocaust, the historical truth of the Holocaust is under attack, and antisemitism is rising, this bill is a vital step toward ensuring that students learn this critical history. Understanding what is being taught and where gaps exist will help us strengthen Holocaust education nationwide, ensuring upcoming generations of Americans understand the dangers posed by hatred, bigotry, and inaction in the face of persecution and equipping them to act against oppression. As we approach the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz death camp, we urge Congress to take swift action to enact it into law.”
“Agudath Israel welcomes the reintroduction of the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act (HEAL) and thanks the co-sponsors Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Dan Goldman (D-NY) Michael McCaul (R-TX), Hayley Stevens (D-MI), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Young Kim (R-CA). Raising the level of Holocaust awareness within the United States, and particularly among our young people, is the call of the hour. The pattern of hate crimes that have targeted American Jews of late, and the shocking level of ignorance about the Holocaust as demonstrated in recent polls, make Holocaust education an important weapon in the battle to combat this hate,” said Rabbi Abba Cohen, Vice President for Government Affairs and Washington Director of Agudath Israel of America.
“Hadassah is proud to support the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act. One of the most important ways to demonstrate our collective responsibility to fight antisemitism, hatred and bigotry is to ensure that future generations learn about the Holocaust. Yet, as antisemitism continues to alarmingly rise, schools are becoming hotbeds of hatred toward Jewish students. Passing the HEAL Act will help identify gaps in Holocaust education and review best practices from expert historic and Jewish studies perspectives to provide resources that help educators teach students about this horrific period in history and the evils to which intolerance can lead,” said Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz and Hadassah Chief Executive Officer Ellen Finkelstein.
“We are grateful to Reps Gottheimer, McCaul, Goldman, Fitzpatrick, Stevens, and Kim for their leadership on addressing the importance of Holocaust Education in the United States. We commend their efforts to address this issue and hope that this bill will get the attention it deserves,” said Nathan Diament of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center.
“The disappearing number of survivors who experienced the horrors of the Holocaust firsthand, the alarming rise in Holocaust denial or revisionism, and increasingly normalized antisemitism and extremism make Holocaust education more urgent than ever. But remembering the Holocaust alone will not stop it from happening again unless it also means understanding how it happened in the first place. Before the ghettos, the trains, and the concentration camps there was xenophobia, propaganda, and lies that dehumanized Jews and others, making the unimaginable possible. The path for violence was paved through years of hate and extremism, much of which is being resurrected and excused today. JCPA welcomes the reintroduction of the bipartisan Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act to better understand how the Holocaust is being taught in our classrooms and how we can do better at this critical moment for our communities and our democracy,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.
“Jewish Federations of North America strongly support the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act which requires the Department of Education to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts across the country. As antisemitism continues to plague countries around the globe, this bill is more important now than ever. Jewish Federations across the United States have long worked to encourage states to require Holocaust education. Together, our system has introduced best practices, resources, and methodologies to ensure generations of students understand the horrors of the Holocaust and learn history’s lessons to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again,” said Karen Paikin Barall, Vice President of Government Relations at Jewish Federation of North America.
“Education is an essential tool to combat the alarming increase in antisemitism that threatens Jewish communities and divides our country. American students need high-quality education about antisemitic hatred, including how it led to the horrors of the Holocaust, so they can properly address xenophobic authoritarianism today and understand how it is a direct threat to democracy. The HEAL Act will help assess and bolster Holocaust education, allowing us to combat antisemitism more effectively nationwide.” said Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
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