Senator Stern Introduces CA Bill to Expand Holocaust and Genocide Education
SB 472 Will Create a Grant Program to Help Schools Teach About the Holocaust and Other Genocides
February 19, 2025
SACRAMENTO, CA – Amid rising division and hate incidents, Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) introduced SB 472 to promote empathy, understanding, and tolerance through education. This critical legislation will establish the Holocaust and Genocide Education Grant Program to provide direct allocations to districts to help them establish relevant courses and professional development opportunities around Holocaust and Genocide Education (HGE). It will also include reporting requirements for all districts about how they are implementing HGE in their schools. The bill is co-authored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and sponsored by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) and Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) Holocaust Center.
HGE was mandated by the state in 1985, but there have been questions and concerns about its implementation for many years. Following a disturbing increase in antisemitic hate, JPAC and JFCS worked with Senator Stern and Governor Newsom to create the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education in 2021. The Council is co-chaired by Senator Stern, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and JFCS Northern California Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman. It is tasked with assessing and improving education about the Holocaust and other genocides in California schools.
The Council recently released its first landmark report, Holocaust and Genocide Education in California: A Study of Statewide Context and Local Implementation (link). It revealed that only 26% of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) offer some genocide education. Of these with programs, 72% indicated that their programs are required, while others were optional. The report included a series of policy recommendations to help more schools meet the state’s requirement.
Senator Stern’s dedication to this cause highlights the importance of equipping teachers with the necessary resources to educate students about these critical historical events and contemporary issues, fostering a more informed and compassionate society. “Eighty years ago, Auschwitz was liberated, and today, most young Americans have never heard of such a place.” Senator Stern added, “I want to equip our teachers with the knowledge to confront the shadows of history and the ability to develop the skills and support they need to bring Holocaust education back to life in California classrooms.”
This bill will implement two major recommendations from the statewide study: providing direct funding to school districts to teach this material, and monitoring and evaluating educational outcomes.
Research demonstrates that young people who receive this education display more pluralistic attitudes, as well as a greater willingness to challenge intolerant behavior in others. By introducing students to the patterns of hate, they gain the awareness and tools needed to confront it.
“Our students and teachers need the proper tools to confront hate and misinformation with facts and empathy,” said Senator Allen. “SB 472 prioritizes Holocaust and Genocide Education in California classrooms at this critical juncture in America’s history.”
“California leads the nation in support for state-of-the art Holocaust and Genocide Education,” said Dr. Anita Friedman of JFCS. “As a result, our state is systematically creating a more unified society and a more informed, morally courageous and socially responsible next generation. We are inspired by the enthusiastic cooperation of educators, communities and students in this common cause. While our Holocaust and Genocide Education is top notch, we need to see it included in more classrooms so that our students are taught these important lessons.”
“Holocaust and Genocide Education is anti-hate education; it builds empathy and understanding, and it teaches students how to speak out against discrimination,” said David Bocarsly, JPAC’s Executive Director. “The recent Holocaust and Genocide Education study confirmed long-standing concerns about the status of this education. We’re grateful to Senators Stern, Allen, and Wiener for helping to ensure this critical education reaches more students.”
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About JPAC:
The Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) is the voice of California’s Jewish community to the State Capitol. Composed of California’s leading Jewish community organizations, JPAC advocates in Sacramento on behalf of the Jewish community’s concerns and broadly shared values. JPAC member organizations – including Jewish Federations, Jewish Community Relations Councils, Jewish Family Service agencies, and others – collectively serve hundreds of thousands of Californians of all backgrounds and represent the interests of California’s 1.2 million Jews, making it the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in the nation.
Since 2019, JPAC has successfully advocated for over $465 million dollars from the state budget for a wide range of community projects, including enhancing community security initiatives for institutions at-risk of being hate-crime targets, and expanding Holocaust education institutions.
For more information, visit us at http://jpac-cal.org.
About JFCS Holocaust Center:
The Holocaust Center is a program of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. Our mission is to create a future where the lessons of the Holocaust are taught and remembered, cultivating a world that stands against antisemitism, hate, and dehumanization. As one of California’s leading resources for Holocaust and Genocide Education, our work increases awareness about Jewish history and the causes and consequences of antisemitism, racism, and discrimination. Through a deeper understanding of the Holocaust and patterns of genocide, we inspire moral courage and social responsibility in future generations.
Contact: David Bocarsly, JPAC Executive Director, david@jpac-cal.org