Jewish News of Greater Phoenix When Michael Beller set out to pass a law requiring Holocaust education in public schools in Arizona three years ago — via JTA, the backlash he received was clear.
“People told me that this would never happen. They were like, ‘Not now, never. This will never happen in Arizona.’ And that was inside and outside the Jewish community,” he said.
But this is what happened on Wednesday.
after a roller coaster ride In the state legislature — including debates over a controversial definition of anti-Semitism — the bill is now going to the office of Governor Doug Ducey. With the Republican signing, Arizona’s public schools must teach about the Holocaust and other genocide at least twice between seventh and 12th graders.
According to academics from the Phoenix Holocaust Association and Arizona State University, Arizona will be the 16th state to require Holocaust education by statute.
Beller, who co-founded Arizona Teaching the Holocaust for the sole purpose of mandating Holocaust education in Arizona, said, “So many people from so many different parts of the state have spent countless hours in the last few years to make sure that they’re teaching the Holocaust.” invested.” .
Alma Hernandez with her family at a ceremony in which she was given a Hebrew name after converting to Judaism (Courtesy of Hernandez)
Arizona House Rep. Alma Hernandez, the Jewish Democrat who introduced the bill, called the route “a huge victory for our community”.
“I have never been more proud to be an elected official and a Jew in Arizona,” she said. “Knowing that all Arizona students will learn about the Holocaust gives me hope and restores my faith in humanity as we must teach the past to make sure it never happens again.”
Holocaust survivor Alexander White, 97, who lives in Scottsdale, testified in support of the bill and is working with Baylor, Hernandez and other groups to look into it. Its passage means “a great deal” to him.
“The Holocaust is a prototype of man’s inhumanity towards man, and the youth should be aware of it,” he said. “If it happens once, it can happen again.”
The long-running bill was on the verge of derailment – ironically by The International Holocaust Remembrance Coalition’s Definition of Anti-Semitism. IHRA definition, which is legally non-binding but remains controversial Some forms of anti-Semitic speech were added at the last minute to the Holocaust education bill, to include examples of anti-Semitism. Republican State Senator Paul Boyer had pushed for inclusion; He wound up being one of only two dissenting Senate votes in the final version of the bill that did not include the definition.
[It could] create a real possibility of seeing the Holocaust education curriculum corrupt in ways that may ironically promote contemporary antisemitism rather than combat it
“Passing the bill without the IHRA definition would leave our legislative intent incomplete and vulnerable to exploitation,” Boyer said in April, adding that passage “would create the real possibility of seeing the Holocaust education curriculum corrupt in ways that are ironic.” can promote contemporary antisemitism rather than combat it.”
In support of that idea, he pointed out California’s recent excerpt from its Ethnic Studies model course. Jewish organizations complained that the first draft of the California curriculum ignored the American Jewish experience and included anti-Semitic language and anti-Israel sections.
“One need look no further than California’s relentless efforts to turn the ethnic studies curriculum into a vehicle for anti-Semitic propaganda. How long will it take to show anti-Semitic predators that they can remember the Holocaust by comparing Israel to Nazis? Want to reverse that?” Boyer said.
During the debate, even some proponents of the IHRA definition, such as Rep. Hernandez, opposed its inclusion in the Holocaust education bill. “Proponents of the IHRA definition, of which I am one, should run separate legislation, as opposed to attempting to confiscate this bill,” she said at the time.
Boyer declined to comment on the bill’s passage. The state Senate Republican caucus plans to pass a separate Holocaust education mandate with the IHRA definition in the next legislative session, it said in a statement.
The Phoenix Holocaust Association, Christian United for Israel, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix and Arizona Teaching the Holocaust all advocated the passage of a Holocaust education bill without IHRA language. Those organizations say they intend to work on a separate IHRA law down the road.
Last January, Hernandez introduced a separate bill focused on anti-Semitic sentiment, which would have codified the IHRA definition into Arizona law to be used by state officials when investigating and tracking crime and discrimination. That bill debuted with strong support, but eventually stalled and stalled in the Senate.
Paul Rockover, executive director of the JCRC of Greater Phoenix, said the amendment jeopardized the Holocaust education bill and made “partisan a non-partisan issue”.
“While we support the use of the IHRA definition in a variety of contexts, we believe there are more appropriate avenues to address public policy in future Arizona statutes without creating unnecessary risks to current Holocaust education initiatives,” said Rockover. said.
Boyer has been a driving force behind other controversial pro-Israel legislation at the Arizona Statehouse. In 2016 he was the primary sponsor on a bill that observers called “Toughest Anti-BDS Laws in America,” which prohibited any part of the Arizona government from investing in or contracting in any company that boycotted Israel. Although signed into law by the governor, the bill was later rejected by the courts; Boyer has since proposed a modified version.
In 2014, Boyer drafted a statewide resolution. Declaring that the West Bank was part of Israel.
Phoenix Holocaust Association President Sheryl Bronkesh worked with Hernandez, Baylor and JCRC on the education bill.
I’m so thrilled that at least some of the survivors who testified year after year could still be here
“I’m so thrilled that at least some of the survivors who testify from year to year may still be here,” she said. “In my mind, this bill is inside” George Kalman’s memory And the memory of other survivors we’ve lost over the past year, and my parents.”
Kalman, a Holocaust survivor who followed the bill closely, died on May 25, awaiting passage of the Education Bill.
Now that he’s done, Beller will close his organization, ATH.
“I saw an opportunity to move the mark and make a meaningful impact,” he said. “So I’ll continue to look for the next thing where I can apply myself and hopefully unite stakeholders to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives.”
version of this story Originally ran in ran Jewish News of Greater Phoenix.