The Hadassah will be hosting Karen Paikin Barall on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 3:00 p.m. to discuss the Never Again Education Act at the Great Neck South Middle School’s Choral Room at 349 Lakeville Road in Great Neck.
The event is presented by the United Parent Teacher’s Council Total Community Involvement planning subcommittee HEART: Holocaust Education Actively Reinforces Tolerance and UPTC’s Legislative Committee.
The discussion will focus on HR 943 legislation: The Never Again Education Act.
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) , along with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) introduced legislation that will create a new grant program at the U.S. Department of Education to give teachers across the United States the resources and training necessary to teach our nation’s children the important lessons of the Holocaust and the horrific consequences of hate and intolerance.
In the past few years, there has been a significant rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes throughout our nation and in New York City.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents in the United States have spiked roughly 60 percent between 2016 and 2017. NYPD figures show over 180 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018, a 22 percent spike from 2017, and a 38.6 percent increase from 2016. We must to be vigilant in the fight against hatred and ensure our youth understand the horrors of the Holocaust and the intolerance and bigotry that led to it, so we can fulfill the promise of ‘Never Again.’
“We are at a dangerous moment in time. Anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world and here at home, and the memory of the Holocaust is fading for far too many Americans. We can combat this by making sure we teach our students, tomorrow’s leaders, about the horrors of the Holocaust. It is simply not enough to condemn hateful, violent attacks against the Jewish community- we need to be proactive, we need to take action. I am proud to reintroduce the Never Again Education Act, so that we can be vigilant in the fight against hatred and give teachers across the United States the resources and training they need to teach our children the important lessons of the Holocaust,” said Carolyn B. Maloney.
“Over the last few years, a concerning amount of anti-Semitic incidents have occurred in our country. My hope is that this bill will combat the rise of this inexcusable behavior by further educating our nation’s students on the unthinkable and innumerable atrocities of the Holocaust. As a nation, we cannot allow a return to the hateful actions that led to the Holocaust and I’m proud to do my part to change it,” said Stefanik.
What the bill does:
· Establishes a federal fund at the Department of Education, the “Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund.” The fund is able to accept private donations in addition to appropriated funds. The fund will finance grants to public and private middle and high schools to help teachers develop and improve Holocaust education programs.
· Gives funding directly to teachers to develop individualized programs that best suit their students’ needs.
· Expenses include training for educators, textbooks, transportation and housing for teachers to attend seminars, transportation for survivors to be brought to a school, and field trips.
· Creates a Holocaust Education website as a central hub of resources and best practices for teachers interested in Holocaust education.
· Curriculum experts at the Department of Education will work with trained Holocaust educators to conduct regional workshops that help teachers work within their state and local education requirements to incorporate the sensitive subject of the Holocaust into their classrooms.
· Creates an Advisory Board to help develop the competitive criteria for grants, select the content for the website, and lead fundraising efforts for the program.
Benefits:
· Teachers face many barriers to teaching the Holocaust: a lack of awareness of where to find resources, a lack of funding to take advantage of these resources, and a lack of knowledge for how to incorporate the subject into their curriculums. This program will help teachers overcome these barriers at no additional cost to the taxpayer.
· Private Holocaust education centers provide valuable training programs, curriculum and other resources, but are limited to helping the schools in their area. This program will help these centers reach a broader audience, and provide teachers with the tools to educate students in communities across the country.
· This program will finally recognize the importance of Holocaust education at the federal level and teach our children about the valuable lessons from the Holocaust.
RSVP: jliman@optonline.net or dhslbhsail@aol.com>
