US House bill seeks to fund Shoah education in schools

WASHINGTON (JTA) – A bipartisan slate of US congressmen is set to introduce a bill that would grant money to Holocaust education in schools.

The Never Again Education Act would establish the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund in the US Treasury. A 12-member board would disburse the money to schools.

A draft of the bill, which was to be introduced on Tuesday in the US House of Representatives, does not designate how much money should go to the fund. However, it says the fund may accept private donations.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) is the lead sponsor of the measure.

“Today, those who deny that the Holocaust occurred or distort the true nature of the Holocaust continue to find forums, especially online; this denial and distortion dishonors those who were persecuted, and murdered,” the draft of the bill says. “This makes it even more of a national imperative to educate students in the United States so that they may explore the lessons that the Holocaust provides for all people, sensitize communities to the circumstances that gave rise to the Holocaust, and help youth be less susceptible to the falsehood of Holocaust denial and distortion and to the destructive messages of hate that arise from Holocaust denial and distortion.”

Maloney was to launch the bill on Tuesday at the Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights in New York City, accompanied by representatives of Hadassah, B’nai B’rith International and the Association of Holocaust Organizations.

Also sponsoring the bill are Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Illinois); Ted Deutch (D-Florida); Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida); Eliot Engel (D-New York); Kay Granger (R-Texas); Nita Lowey (D-New York); and Dan Donovan (R-New York). Lowey and Granger are top House appropriators, which suggests the bill likely will pass and receive funding.