Recent studies have shown a nationwide deficit in education and consistency when it comes to learning about the Holocaust. As more survivors age and pass away, and with anti-Semitism on the rise, children of survivors have been getting more active in telling these vital stories.

As founder and president of the Holocaust Education Resource Council (HERC), Barbara Goldstein not only continues to share her parents’ stories of surviving concentration camps and Jewish ghettos but has been able to create consistent education standards for Floridians statewide. 

“Holocaust education doesn’t just teach about the Holocaust,” says Goldstein. “We teach about civics, human rights and treating people with respect. Yes, six million Jews were killed, but it’s about humanity. Everyone should be learning about how to not let it happen again to anybody.” 

Goldstein was recently appointed by the commissioner of education to be the chair of a task force on Holocaust education, which oversees the state’s school districts. With Holocaust Education Week kicking off virtually on Nov. 9, she’s proud of the strides the task force has been able to make in the past few months towards increasing programming in spite of the pandemic.  

“There’s been a lot of legislation regarding accountability and assessment for Holocaust education and we’re creating new curriculum standards,” says Goldstein. “We’ve gotten creative and pivoted to a virtual programming format. It’s been successful because we’re finding more people can attend from all over that would never have the opportunity to. That’s been one of the silver linings.”

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