Tel-Chai Nation

The American Thinker addressed the disturbing discovery that knowledge of the Holocaust, especially among millennials, is becoming very sparse, if at all:

Two new studies have appeared indicating the lack of justice for Jews and even the lack of knowledge of the hideous truth about the Holocaust. One is a comprehensive national survey in the U.S. of Holocaust awareness and knowledge among U.S. adults, using a sample of 1,350, which was commissioned and issued in spring 2020 by the Claims Commission, CC, in the U.K. The second is a report on the massacre of Jews at the ravine of Babi Yar (Babyn Yar), outside Kiev (Kyiv), capital of Soviet Ukraine.

Though there are encouraging notes in the CC survey, it finds significant gaps in awareness of basic facts and detailed knowledge of the Holocaust. Most of the respondents said they had heard of the Holocaust — three quarters had definitely heard of it and another 10% probably had. Yet 10% said the Holocaust did not happen, and 23% said it was a myth, or was greatly exaggerated, or they were not sure.

There was more agreement on responsibility for the Holocaust. Of the whole number in the survey, 83% thought Adolf Hitler had caused it, and 67% thought the Nazis were responsible and Germany 36%. However, three significant and disturbing facts are found. One is that these figures were lower for Millennials than for the general group. This confirms other studies indicating that younger people are less aware of or less interested in the realities of the persecution of Jews. The second is that more than 11% of U.S. adults (15% Millennials) under 40 believe that Jews caused the Holocaust, and 28% thought the Holocaust is a myth.

A third is unexpected ignorance of reality, in spite of the number of books, films, and TV programs that deal with the issue of the Holocaust. During World War II, there were over 40,000 concentration camps and ghettos in Europe, but 45% of those surveyed could not name a single one. Of those who could name an infamous camp, about 56% were unable to identify the exact nature of Auschwitz: 40% said it was a concentration camp (Millennials 22%), 23% thought it was a death camp (Millennials 11%), and 1% said it was a labor camp.

There is also a lack of precision about the number of Jews killed. Sixty-three percent did not know that six million were murdered, and 36% thought two million or fewer were killed.

It's not just in the US, but in many other countries, even in Europe, where this is becoming the case. And no doubt that there's Islamic countries where it's especially horrific due to indoctrination. It's crucial to remember that some of this could easily be the result of Muslims demanding the elimination of Holocaust history education from classes. What's to be done to mend this terrible problem? Among millennials, it's also a disturbing problem.

Labels: anti-semitism, dhimmitude, Europe, germany, islam, Russia, United States