Gov. Evers signs legislation to support Holocaust education

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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed Senate Bill 833, now Wisconsin Act 248 on Friday. The measure allocates $400,000 for the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC) to support Holocaust education in Wisconsin schools as required by 2021 Wisconsin Act 30, a bill previously enacted by Gov. Evers.

“The Holocaust Education Resource Center does critically important work to educate and inform Wisconsinites about the Holocaust and to help build a more inclusive, accepting, and welcoming state. I’m glad to sign this bill today to build upon Wisconsin Act 30 to support the good work they do,” said Evers.

“This critical funding will help the Center develop curriculum and hire more staff to help reach more school districts and more kids across our state,” Evers added.

In 2021, Gov. Evers signed 2021 Wisconsin Act 30, requiring lessons about the Holocaust and other genocides to be incorporated into social studies education for Wisconsin students throughout grades five to 12. As part of the passage of 2021 Wisconsin Act 30, HERC pledged to provide resources and lesson plans to all Wisconsin classrooms at no cost to local taxpayers or schools. To date, HERC is the primary mechanism for implementing 2021 Wisconsin Act 30 and has reached almost 80 percent of Wisconsin school districts.

According to a 2020 survey conducted by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), Wisconsin ranks highest in Holocaust awareness among U.S. Millennials and Gen Z. Wisconsin’s leadership in Holocaust education is due in large part to the strong educational programming provided by HERC. According to data from HERC, from 2022 to 2023, HERC reached 336 of Wisconsin’s 421 school districts, trained 775 educators through workshops, and impacted more than 135,000 students.

Senate Bill 833, now 2023 Wisconsin 248:
• Creates a new annual appropriation in the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, beginning in fiscal year 2023-24, to provide $200,000 annually to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation to support the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center.