Education 

There are several mandates across the United States which require Holocaust education for students in grades K-12. There have been several studies done which show a correlation between Holocaust knowledge and antisemitism. The more an individual knows about the Holocaust, the less likely they are to be antisemitic³ (Merksamer 679). This in and of itself justifies Holocaust education, as not only are students learning about one of the most important events in recent history, but they are becoming better citizens by doing so. It is also important to teach about the Holocaust to ensure the world remembers it. As more and more survivors pass away, it is important that the memory of this tragedy does not recede from public memory. State policies vary, with some states having very specific mandates regarding Holocaust education, while others are more broad. This leads to an inequality, as there are states with very strong Holocaust education, and there are other states with weaker education. 

A lack of knowledge about the Holocaust is not an American exception, as there are students in grade 9 in Germany who have never heard the word Holocaust before⁴ (Schmoll 7). Melanie Carina Schmoll discusses this, as well as the importance of Holocaust education in her book, Hatred of Jews-A Failure of Holocaust Education? It is essential that students across the globe learn about this event before grade 9, even if discussion is only broad. Schmoll claims the Holocaust is the most important event in history, and even those who disagree acknowledge it is one of the most important. In that case, doesn't it make sense to educate children about this event? As is the reason behind Schmoll's publishing of her book, a lack of education on this topic leads to higher rates of antisemitism. She also makes sure to point out that the Nazis weren't so different from herself, having similar routines, social lives, and emotions. This is an important fact to point out, as many believe every last Nazi was evil, and while their actions certainly were, they weren't so different from the average person.