The Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center, Wisconsin Jewish Conference and Milwaukee Jewish Federation released the following joint statement upon the unanimous vote in the State Assembly to pass AB 816, the Holocaust Education Act:
“The Wisconsin Jewish Community applauds the State Assembly for voting 98-0 on Tuesday to advance AB 816, which ensures that all Wisconsin students receive instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides. We would like to thank Representatives Jon Plumer (R-Lodi) and Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) for serving as the Assembly authors of this important bill, which has the support of 55 bi-partisan co-sponsors.
“We teach about the Holocaust not only to recognize the past but to safeguard the future from the horrors of unchecked hatred. The lessons of the Holocaust need to be passed on to our youth now more than ever. A 2018 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents in Wisconsin found that more than 25% of all the recorded antisemitic incidents took place among students or on campus. In addition, national polling found that 22% of millennials surveyed either had not heard of the Holocaust or weren’t sure if they had heard of it.
“We applaud the State Assembly for their strong, bi-partisan support of AB 816 and look forward to working with the State Senate to ensure that this bill becomes law. Together, we can remember and learn from the horrors of history to make certain they will never be repeated.”
