RELEASE: Gottheimer, Steel Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Create an October 7th Remembrance Curriculum

WASHINGTON, DC —  Today, May 7, 2024, U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Michelle Steel (CA-45) introduced bipartisan legislation, the October 7th Remembrance Education Act, that instructs the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum to build a curriculum for students, memorializing the October 7th attack on Israel and the antisemitism that followed the attack on social media, college campuses, and more.

Gottheimer is co-leading this bipartisan legislation with Congresswoman Michelle Steel (CA-45). The October 7th Remembrance Education Act is supported by the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and the Jewish Federation of North America .

On October 7th, Hamas terrorists murdered, raped, burned alive, and tortured more than 1,200 innocent men, women, children, and elderly in Israel, including 40 Americans. It was the most devastating attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Since then, antisemitic hate has surged online and across the United States. According to the ADL, there were 8,873 antisemitic incidents recorded in the United States in 2023, the most since the ADL began collecting data in 1979. That statistic includes 5,204 incidents in the months after October 7th, more than the total reported for all of 2022. Antisemitic tropes, conspiracies, and misinformation have also flooded social media platforms like TikTok.

“For decades, educators have taught about the Holocaust to expose the repercussions that hate and intolerance can have on our society,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “In the wake of October 7th, the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, we must develop new educational resources to combat the surging tide of antisemitism across the United States. We cannot stay silent in the face of hate and bigotry online, on our college campuses, or anywhere in our nation.”

“With each passing day, the ongoing consequences of Hamas’ violent and unprovoked attack against innocent civilians in Israel remind us that the dangers of antisemitism are not just something of the past,” said Congresswoman Michelle Steel (CA-45). “We must ensure that future generations are educated about the very real and very present danger of antisemitism so that this hateful ideology does not continue to spread. This legislation takes concrete steps to do just that, and I am proud to partner with my colleagues on this measure to stand with the Jewish people both now and in the future.”

“Hamas’s barbaric October 7th terrorist attack on Israel and the resulting tsunami of antisemitic incidents have transformed Jewish lives around the world,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “In an era when ADL data is showing a historic rise in antisemitism, education is more critical than ever to understand and curb this perennial hate. Thank you to Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Michelle Steel for leading the October 7 Remembrance Education Act and ensuring the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has the resources it needs to build a curriculum for students to study this heinous antisemitic attack.”

“The aftermath of the horrific October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel should serve as a stark reminder of what happens when hate is allowed to fester. Right now, we’re witnessing that hatred and prejudice play out in real time on college campuses across America. The creation of an educational curriculum about the terrorists’ attack on Israel — and the ensuing wave of antisemitism that has followed — will help to properly educate Americans on the horrific events that took place on that day.” said Jewish Federation of North America Vice President, Government Relations Karen Paikin Barall. “The Jewish Federations enthusiastically support this bill that will give educators the tools they need to teach children about antisemitism well-before they head into the real world.”

See the full text of the bill here.

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