Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) joined Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) to introduce the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to improve Holocaust education efforts and counter rising antisemitism in the United States.
The HEAL Act requires the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to submit to Congress a nationwide study on Holocaust education efforts in all state and local agencies as well as in public elementary and secondary schools. The study would:
- Assess the quality, standards, and requirements of each state’s Holocaust education programs;
- Determine the effectiveness of existing Holocaust education programs with intended outcomes; and,
- Identify existing Holocaust education curriculum and challenges to teaching about the Holocaust.
“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 Kim. “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.”
“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 Gottheimer. “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.”
Read the bill HERE.
