Donovan, Maloney Request Hearing on Holocaust Education Bill Following Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

Staten Island, NY - In the wake of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, U.S. Representatives Dan Donovan (R-NY) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) formally requested that the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hold a hearing on their bipartisan Never Again Education Act, which would bolster Holocaust education across the country.

The representatives wrote, “As we condemn this horrendous attack and the anti-Semitism that caused it, we also must ensure that our children and students understand the dangers of rising anti-Semitism and that they know its history. For if we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.”

The full text of the letter is below:  

Dear Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott,

We write to respectfully request that the Committee on Education and the Workforce hold a hearing on H.R. 5460, the Never Again Education Act, so that this important bill can finally move forward. The Never Again Education Act is a bipartisan bill to give our teachers the resources and training they need to teach our children the important lessons of the Holocaust and the consequences of intolerance and hate. The bill ensures more schools have the opportunity to educate their students about the Holocaust, through the creation of a fund at the Department of Education to provide grants to public and private middle and high schools that will help teachers develop and improve Holocaust education programs.

On Saturday, October 27th, 11 Jews were killed on Shabbat simply for being in synagogue and practicing their faith. This attack is believed to be the deadliest on the American Jewish community in our nation’s history. This is horrific and unconscionable and comes at a time when anti-Semitic incidents and online harassment are on the rise. The Anti-Defamation League reports that anti-Semitic incidents were up 57% in 2017, from the previous year. As we condemn this horrendous attack and the anti-Semitism that caused it, we also must ensure that our children and students understand the dangers of rising anti-Semitism and that they know its history. For if we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it. 

Holocaust education is a vital part of our children’s learning experience. Unfortunately, far too many students in our country grow up without basic knowledge of the events during the Holocaust. By holding a hearing on H.R. 5460 and moving this important bill, Congress can reiterate the importance of teaching our children the history of hate and the horrors to which it leads. Now more than ever, we need that reminder. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

###