Should Holocaust Education Continue Through State Budget Crisis?

State legislators from Illinois and elsewhere visited the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie in October to hear a presentation on the importance of continuing to educate children about the significance of the genocide.

The legislators spoke with docents and Holocaust survivors while touring the museum on October 19, according to the Skokie Review.

The visit came as part of the 25th anniversary of Illinois becoming the first state in the union to mandate the teaching of the Holocaust in schools.

As educational cuts are expected statewide due to the current financial crisis, Holocaust Museum CEO Susan Abrams stressed the importance of continuing Holocaust education.

“We believe that the mandate that requires all schools in our state to teach about the Holocaust and genocide has really been crucial for educating other people about the Holocaust and the importance of standing up and speaking out throughout their lives,” Abrams said.

The visit hit close to home for State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston. His parents survived the Holocaust and his cousins have volunteered at the museum for years.

“To see what this institution has become — for the community, for the state, for the educational infrastructure for the state is really, really incredibly meaningful to me,” he said.

more via the Skokie Review