A Call to Preschool Teachers: 'Do Not Teach Children About the Holocaust'. What Do You Think?

Should young children be exposed to the horrors of the Holocaust? According to the Chair of 'Educators for Preschool Teachers', information can be shared at a later age.

"Teaching the Holocaust in preschools from ages three to six, year after year, harms and traumatizes them. It certainly does not impart any understanding or values," claims Dorit Hazan, Chair of 'Educators for Preschool Teachers'. "I have no doubt that the knowledge about the Holocaust must be conveyed, but not at kindergarten age. It is possible and preferable to wait until a later stage."

"Some believe it is possible to explain the Holocaust in kindergarten, and they call upon teachers to use discretion and choose how to convey the information," clarifies Hazan. "But years of early childhood education have taught me there is no way or need to discuss this at all. We - the preschool teachers - are on the ground and encounter the inability to comprehend the magnitude of the disaster and the fear instilled in children due to unnecessary exposure. If adults struggle to grasp the sheer horror and evil of the Holocaust, it is even more so for children who have yet to understand grief, mourning, and loss."

"The historical story: during Chanukah, Purim, and Passover, we soften and beautify it in kindergarten, striving to focus on the good, the artistic, the joyful symbols, knowing that children cannot handle disasters. The likelihood of developing anxieties is so high that we prefer to skip over the negativity and preserve the innocence in children's minds and thoughts."

She further adds: "We need to ask ourselves repeatedly – what values can we impart to the child through our messages? Is he capable at this stage of his life to understand the message? If the message instills fear, why should we deliver it? We call upon all preschool teachers: Do not teach children about the Holocaust. If children ask questions, it is appropriate to answer them factually, but not to initiate the discussion. You are mothers and educators, and you know what is right for you and what is right for the child."

Hazan cited the words of Holocaust survivor Uri Chainoch z"l, who was a member of the board of the Holocaust Survivors' Organizations Center. He said: "It just boils my blood. Why discuss this topic with children in kindergartens and in grades one and two? Can we not wait until age 12? It's simply unacceptable, it's out of the question. It pains me. Ultimately, there is no one apart from Holocaust survivors who knows how to convey this to children. How much can the topic be beautified? I think at these ages it is unnecessary. If the child asks, then there is an opportunity to tell in an evasive manner, but not as a mandatory curriculum."