Israeli highschoolers believe another Holocaust possible

By Noah Klinger

Most Israeli high school students—a staggering 82% in fact—believe that the Holocaust could happen again, finds a new survey conducted prior to International Holocaust Day, to be held Monday January 27th.

The aforementioned, in-depth survey was conducted among high school students, students in schools of education and IDF officers and soldiers by the Massuah Institute for the Study of the Holocaust

The survey examined, among other topics, respondents’ attitudes towards Holocaust survivors, a topic of much recent media debate in Israel. The great majority of respondents, 74%, felt that survivors were entirely helpless. Only 26% said they believed that survivors had managed to rebuild their lives in Israel.

How do Israeli pupils learn about the Holocaust? Most high schoolers, 54%, stated that they learned about the Holocaust through a school expedition to Poland. Eighteen percent of students learned about the Holocaust through documentary films, and only 12% indicated that they learned about the Holocaust through their regular history classes.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day, first designated by the UN general assembly in 2005, will be marked at the organization’s headquarters with a long series of commemorative events: The Israel Post, along with Communications Minister Ariel Atias, will unveil a specially designed stamp commemorating the Holocaust at the UN General Assembly, and the Holocaust Museum in Manhattan will hold a special memorial ceremony attended by scores of prominent politicians and dignitaries.

Later on Monday, the day’s key memorial ceremony will be held at UN headquarters, and will include music by the Israeli Symphony Orchestra presided over by Zuben Mehta. The guest of honor at this special concert will be US Congressman and Holocaust survivor Tom (Thomas) Lantos.

Also as part of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the UN will also unveil a special exhibition on Muslims that saved Jewish victims during the Holocaust. The exhibition will be officially launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Israel will also commemorate International Holocaust Day, which marks the official liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, with a series of ceremonies and special events attended by numerous dignitaries.

Zvi Zinger and Yaniv Halili contributed to this article