Jewish group applauds mandatory Holocaust education in Manitoba

The head of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada applauds a move by Manitobato make Holocaust education mandatory.

"Holocaust education is a key tool for countering prejudice and cultivating inclusion. It's not just about this tragedy that happened, of course, to the Jewish people, but its implications for broader society," saidBelle Jarniewski, executive director of theWinnipeg-based organization.

"When students learn about the Holocaust, they engage with very complicated moral questionssome that do not come with simple answers and critical thinking is also a big part of this."

People have been lobbying provincial governments for nearly50 years tohave a specific curriculum developed for teachers around the Holocaust, Jarniewski said.

But they have only recently begun to see movement.

British Columbia and Ontario recently announced Holocaust education will be mandatory for Grade 10 students starting in fall 2025, whileAlberta and Saskatchewan announced this month that studying the Holocaust will be a compulsory part of new social studies curriculums.

Jarniewskimet with Education Minister Nello Altomareanddeputy minister Brian O'Leary10 days ago to explain why teaching about the Holocaust is so important.

And in Tuesday'sthrone speech which outlines the government's priorities for the coming legislative session Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew committedto makingHolocaust education mandatoryin the kindergarten to Grade 12 system.

"I'm pleased that Manitoba has followed the lead of other provinces,"Jarniewski said. "Unfortunately, many students know little about the Holocaust, and by mandating the education, we can also provide broader professional development programs for teachers."

A2019 surveysuggested that one in fiveCanadian youths at the time were unaware of what happened during the Holocaust.

There areno details yet on how the curriculum will be implemented or at which grade levels.Jarniewski recommends it be part of the Grade 11 Canadian history curriculum.

The Israel-Hamaswar in the Middle East has underscored the importance of having that kindofconversation and education, she said.

"There has been such an upsurge in antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate that has come to our doorstep.We are seeing students targeted, we are seeing fear in the Jewish community, we are seeing threats, we're seeing even some violence," Jarniewskisaid.

"It is through education that we can combat hate, and education about the Holocaust is something that combats not only anti-Jewish hate, but helps students learn about how words can turn into violence, how it can teach about early warnings for genocideand much more."

Kinew, in the throne speech, also announced plans togiveeducators anti-Islamophobia tool kits prepared by Manitoba's Islamic community.

The kits, which will launch Dec. 6,will provide resources and lesson plansandlinks to places teachers can reach out for additional help, said Tasneem Vali, a volunteer with theManitoba Islamic Association.

"All the foreign events that happen affect us at home because we are such a diverse nation. Everybody has somebody who is being affected by something that is going on around the world," she said.

The resources range from reading lists and videoson cultural and current affairs toguidance onfinding ethnic restaurants and halal stores in case a school is having a barbecue and needs to find kosher or halal meat, Vali said.

"[There are also]Ramadan and Eid resources, because we feel a lot of children struggle with educators not knowing about Ramadan, where children are fasting, so they might not be alert during exam times, just things like that," she said.

"This is a very important toolkit to educate educators, so that when they are addressing children in their classroom or in a different setting, to know where they're coming from, to understand that there might be a background to something the child is saying and to understand context."