State Superintendent's Web Message Archive

Students and adults must learn the lessons of the Holocaust

Days of Remembrance of Holocaust victims are April 28 - May 4

Even with the passage of seventy years, the lessons of the Holocaust still ring with urgency.

It was seventy years ago in Germany that the awful tide of the Holocaust began to swell. On the November day in 1938 called Kristallnacht ("the night of broken glass"), Nazi mobs vandalized Jewish-owned businesses, homes, synagogues, and community centers. They attacked and killed Jews. Afterward, the government blamed the Jewish community for the riots and arrested many Jewish men, who were sent to concentration camps. It was the turning point, when despicable talk turned to even more horrific action--the beginning of a truly terrible era in world history.

This year, April 28 through May 4 are the Days of Remembrance established by the U. S. Congress to commemorate victims of the Holocaust. Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, is May 2. Sadly, as we observe this week, it seems we are not yet free from the dangers of genocide. That means we must be ever watchful for those turning points of history, which may expose, for good or bad, the extent of our moral strength.

How can we work for a better future?

The question is difficult, but doesn't the answer have to come from within with each of us, in the character of every individual? Think of this: holocausts would never happen again if a large majority of citizens could feel for others as strongly as we feel for ourselves.

Such moral strength is what makes a healthy society. Many of today's business, labor, and community leaders know this--they have asked us to ensure that students develop ethical grounding as part of their education. Educators have taken up the cause, incorporating ethics into civics, service-learning, and financial literacy instruction, for example. But students are not the only ones to think about. The rest of us, too, have more to learn from the Holocaust.

To ensure our society is fair and good to all, we must embody the spirit of democracy in every arena. Our courts must treat all people equally under the law. Government leaders must serve all citizens. And, our schools must provide each and every child with an education that not only uplifts them to their dreams and aspirations, but inspires them to greet those who are "different" with open arms and minds. This is the learning we must embrace: that from the togetherness of people who are different from each other comes the strength to meet the challenges of our future--and to make our darkest abysses a thing of the past.

April 25, 2008 -- Return to message archive index

For questions about this information, contact Debra A. Bougie (608) 266-1598

Last updated on 4/24/2008 10:14:24 AM