The Emergence of Holocaust Education in American Schools

Interest by American educators in the Holocaust has increased exponentially during the second half of the twentieth century. In 1960 the Holocaust was barely being addressed in American public schools. Yet by the 1990s several states had mandated the teaching of the event. Drawing upon a variety of sources including unpublished works and interviews, this study traces the rise of genocide education in America. The author demonstrates how the genesis of this movement can be attributed to a grassroots effort initiated by several teachers, who introduced the topic as a way to help their students navigate the moral and ethical ambiguity of the times.

"Fallace's book is well researched, well argued, and well written. Anyone who either contemplates teaching about the Holocaust or is currently doing so owes it to him/herself to read this outstanding book as it addresses a host of critical and significant issues that should (indeed, must) be taken into consideration when taking on this complex period of history." - Samuel Totten, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Co-Editor of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

"Fallace's book is fascinating and not only for those of us who are obsessed with Holocaust education. For anyone interested in how subject matter ends up in the curriculum, how history is represented, or how teachers constitute a political force, this book ought to be required reading. Nuanced and forthright, engaging and informative, Fallace's story is simultaneously easy reading and intellectual provocation. I can't recommend it highly enough." - Simone Schweber, Goodman Professor of Education and Jewish Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

". . . chock full of valuable material meticulously gleaned by way of conscientious research, all of it absorbing and often quite thought-provoking. . . . A book that should most especially be read by students of the Holocaust, teachers of the Holocaust, and teachers generally." -Diane Cypkin, Professor of Media and Communications Studies, Pace University

Thomas D. Fallace is Assistant Professor of Education, University of Mary Washington.