ALERT CENTER: State Legislature passes Holocaust education bill

The state Legislature has passed a Holocaust education bill that would require the state education commissioner to assess how the Holocaust is taught in schools statewide.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Anna Kaplan, D-Great Neck, and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, D-Queens.

The bill comes at a time when awareness about the Holocaust is at disturbing lows, according to officials. The bill now goes to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature.

Eric Post, director of the American Jewish Committee Long Island office, had this statement:

“Surveys have shown a lack of awareness of basic knowledge of the Holocaust by current students and recent graduates. The lessons of the Holocaust are universal, about how quickly society can spiral into hate and even into genocide, if it is not rejected outright. AJC was proud to work with Senator Kaplan and Assemblywoman Rozic for well over a year on the bill, including initiating a press conference at the Holocaust Memorial Tolerance Center in Glen Cove, securing co-sponsorships to the bill, and an advocacy visit to Albany.”