Arizona Board of Education Adds Holocaust and Other
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HEADLINES | 14 LIFESTYLE & CULTURE | 20 STAYING STRONG SCARY MOVIES Two years after Frightening films Tree of Life shooting, with Jewish survivors remain resilient inspiration OCTOBER 30, 2020 | CHESHVAN 12, 5781 | VOLUME 73, NUMBER 3 $1.50 Arizona Board of More synagogues reopen for Education adds in-person services after Holocaust and other High Holidays ELLEN O’BRIEN | STAFF WRITER genocides to state ervices haven’t been the same without congregants in Sthe room, and seeing familiar faces, even ones obscured behind a mask, makes a difference. education standards “I was blown away, I was so happy,” said Rabbi Stephen ELLEN O’BRIEN | STAFF WRITER Kahn of Congregation Beth Israel, who saw congregants in olocaust educators celebrated a long-awaited victory on the synagogue for the first time in months on Rosh Hashanah HMonday: the addition of Holocaust education to Arizona morning. “Even though it was still a somewhat empty room education standards. While the state hasn’t reached the finish — it was only 60 people — I was just really proud of us as line yet, organizers said, Monday’s decision was a step in the a community that we were able to pull it off in a way that I right direction. felt incredibly comfortable about.” At its regular board meeting on Monday, Oct. 26, the Arizona Since the High Holidays, CBI has offered up to 60 members the option to attend services in person on Friday Cantor Seth Ettinger, Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin and State Board of Education approved a change to the Arizona Rabbi Stephen Kahn of Congregation Beth Israel Administrative Code’s sections R7-2-301 and R7-2-302, the evenings, with masks, social in the sanctuary on Rosh Hashanah minimum courses of study for elementary school and high school. distancing, preregistration and SEE REOPENING, PAGE 3 PHOTO COURTESY OF CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL The rule change added “instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides at least once in either grade seven or grade eight” to social studies standards for students in junior high school and “instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides” to the world Getting out the vote ... history credit requirement for high school graduation. on campus Seeing the rule pass “feels very, very good,” said Sheryl Hillel at Arizona State University participates in Mitzvote, a Bronkesh, president of the Phoenix Holocaust Association. “But nonpartisan campaign to engage student voters. It began by registering students and is now focused on getting them to vote. I’m going to only allow us to bask in that good feeling [for a To read more, go to p. 12. short time], because we have a lot of work to do.” PHOTO BY RABBI SUZY STONE SEE EDUCATION, PAGE 2 KEEP YOUR EYE ON jewishaz.com NATIONAL ISRAEL INTERNATIONAL Nearly half of Americans know ‘little about’ Nurturing talent in the Negev as Israel Arabs from Gulf states rush to learn Hebrew or ‘never heard of’ anti-Semitism prepares for economic recovery HEADLINES EDUCATION camp, death camp or ghetto. The most CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 distressing statistic, Lieberman noted, is For PHA, that includes continuing 16% of respondents in Arizona and 15% to build a statewide teachers’ toolkit nationally believe that Jews caused the for Holocaust education, an effort that Holocaust. started two and a half months ago with The lack of knowledge about the a state-wide coalition of educators, while Holocaust is why educators, survivors also sponsoring virtual opportunities for and members of the Jewish community survivors to continue sharing their stories are fighting so hard to make sure the Holocaust is taught in Arizona schools. with students. “I think that educated people find 2020 Phoenix Also supporting the rule change on Oskar Knoblauch speaks to Arizona Board of Education in a prerecorded message on Oct. 26, things like this to be disturbing — the Monday was Arizona Teaching the Jewish News 2020. PHOTO BY ELLEN O’BRIEN lack of education that others have around Holocaust, an initiative founded by subjects like this, whether it’s U.S. history Michael Beller and Josh Kay with the Kathy Hoffman also spoke in favor of the Print Dates or world history,” Kay said. “It’s a very purpose of passing a bill in the state leg- rule change. important piece of world history, and it islature to mandate Holocaust education In addition to sharing his experience January 10 August 28* goes to show that it’s not that many years in Arizona. While that didn’t happen after visiting Yad Vashem, Lieberman shared January 24 September 4 ago that people were capable of doing the legislative session was cut short by statistics from the recent “U.S. Millennial things like this. And it’s still happening February 7 September 11 COVID-19, Beller and Kay are happy to Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness today.” February 21 September 18 see the new rule from the BOE and have Survey,” released by The Conference on In a prerecorded message to the board, plans to continue pursuing mandatory Jewish Material Claims Against Germany March 6 October 2 Oskar Knoblauch, a Holocaust survivor Holocaust education both in the Arizona on Sept. 16. The study sought to assess March 20 October 9** and vice president first generation at legislature and across the country. the Holocaust knowledge of millennials PHA, also reminded its members of what March 27 October 16 and Generation Z, defined in the study as “We understand that this isn’t some- was at stake in their decision on Monday. April 3 October 30 anyone aged 18 to 39, and found that few thing that just occurs once and then “We cannot expect a better-informed respondents could name a concentration April 17 November 6 we can forget,” Beller said. “This is generation if we do not educate our camp or say how many Jews were killed May 1 November 20 something that we’re committed to youth,” Knoblauch said. “Teaching about seeing through the Board of Education in the Holocaust. the Holocaust and other genocides is May 15 December 4 standard and into statute and for future Arizona ranked 38th among states extremely important if we do not want June 5 December 18 generations.” in Holocaust knowledge, with 23% of these horrific atrocities to happen again.” July 10 Before the vote, members of the respondents meeting all three criteria Supporting the rule change from July 31 BOE heard testimony from Holocaust for being “Holocaust knowledgeable”: behind the scenes was a team of Holocaust *Best of Magazine survivors Esther Basch, Dr. Alexander having “definitely” heard about the educators from around the state who have August 7 **Annual Directory White and Oskar Knoblauch. Arizona Holocaust, knowing that six million Jews spent the last two and a half months State Rep. Aaron Lieberman and State were killed in the Holocaust and being WWW.JEWISHAZ.COM Superintendent for Public Instruction able to name at least one concentration SEE EDUCATION, PAGE 5 OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday HEADLINES ...........................................2 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday Local 12701 N. 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After more she said. services, Kahn asks attendees to return than five months of primarily watching It was interest from congregants that led directly to their cars instead of schmoozing.