JFACT will testify at an Education Committee public hearing on Wednesday in support of SB 452: ‘Inclusion of Holocaust/Genocide Education in Connecticut Schools.’

Submitted

The Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut (JFACT), which represents the seven Jewish Federations and their respective Jewish Service agencies across Connecticut, several of which are located in West Hartford, strongly supports this legislation which will include Holocaust and genocide education and awareness in every school district’s social studies curriculum starting next school year.

The public hearing is Wednesday, March 14, at 11 a.m. in Room 1D of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, CT.

Why is it so important to teach this subject? The ADL has reported that statewide, twice as many anti-Semitic incidents were reported in late 2017 as in the same period the year before, Holocaust deniers are running for Congress, Nazis are parading openly down our city streets and people are forgetting it happened. In 2017, there were five ACTIVE Genocides in the World.

“We along with our educational system have the obligation to remember and teach about these past and still occurring events so that we can effect change in future generations perceptions of hate and intolerance,” says JFACT Executive Director, Michael Bloom.

“It is critical to give meaning to the words “never again,” that we insure that our young people are made aware of genocide. Only through teaching them can we make sure that these historical events will not be repeated in the future,” says JFACT Chairman of the Board, Rob Lesser.