The Modern Assault on Holocaust Memory

The highly accomplished musician Kanye West, who has changed his name simply to “Ye,” made several public statements of antisemitic beliefs including an interview on the Alex Jones InfoWars program where West stated, “I like Hitler…the Holocaust is not what happened. Let’s look at the facts of that. Hitler has a lot of redeeming qualities.” While many prominent figures rushed to condemn these statements, and rightly so, the public has had mixed reactions with some continuing to show support and others speaking out against his views.

Unfortunately, the views expressed by Ye, are not an anomaly. The Anti-Defamation League, which has tracked antisemitic incidents in the US for several decades, reported that there were 2,717 antisemitic incidents of assault, harrassment, and vandalism reported in 2021, the highest number ever recorded in the county. In the wake of this rising tide of antisemitism and Holocaust denial in the United States and the world, a question surfaces: What has happened to Americans collective memory to “Never Forget” the horrors of the Holocaust and the violent antisemitism that was responsible for it?

Some may likely be quick to criticize the American education system, however, the number of states that either mandate Holocaust education or require the Holocaust be taught in multiple grade levels in adherence to the inclusion of the event in state standards has only risen consistently since the 1990s. Additionally, it is without question that there are more literature, memoirs, documentaries, websites, and films about the Holocaust available than there ever have been. Thus, access to knowledge is not absent, but rather it is abundant.

Despite the prevalence of Holocaust education and wide availability of educational resources it is apparent that the undeniable memory of the Holocaust as a fact no longer resonates with Americans as it once did, or at least appeared to have, in previous decades. We must recognize that the assault on the memory of the Holocaust has gained significant traction outside of the confines of the classroom. This attack occurs mainly in spaces on the internet, mainly in social media forums, where people of all ages can easily access a vast array of opinions at a moments notice and is perpetuated by those with intent to distort or deny the Holocaust and it is absorbed by those who are most impressionable and also those looking for an answer or someone or something to blame for society’s ills.

Those who promote hate speech, whether it be antisemitic or targeted at other groups, and Holocaust denial or distortion have found an inexpensive and easy to use outlet to share these views with millions of others instantaneously. The social media giants, including Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Tiktok, have seen considerable increases in hate speech in recent years that they have failed to effectively monitor or limit. If we consider that worldwide people spent an average of 2 hours and 32 minutes per day in 2021 and that the group that spends the most time using social media is teens ages 13-18 that spent an average of 3 hours and 1 minute per day, then we are presented with a clearer picture of the potential influence of social media.

In looking at Kanye West’s influence on social media, the troubling results become more apparent. He has over 30 million followers on Twitter, which is more than double the number of Jews in the world. Therefore, even if many of his followers dismiss his views as the rantings of a mentally unstable individual, there are many others who take him seriously and are willing to follow his views to become antisemites and Holocaust deniers themselves. And Mr. West is only one of many influential individuals who promote these hateful beliefs through online forums.

In order to combat the surge of antisemitism and the assault on the memory of the Holocaust it is necessary to expand beyond just the walls of the education system and demand better monitoring of online hate speech and all the forms it takes. These online forums are areas that our youth spend significant amounts of time on each day, which requires us to also be vigilant in monitoring our own children and their usage of social media and to engage with them in discussing the potential perils of social media sites and the online world.

Additionally, we must expand our notion of Holocaust education to ensure that we do more than just teach the history of the Holocaust, but also clearly show how the lessons from the Holocaust can be applied in our contemporary world. One of the key tenets that UNESCO argues should be a focus of Holocaust education is “Teaching and learning about the Holocaust highlights aspects of human behaviour that affect all societies, such as the susceptibility to scapegoating and the desire for simple answers to complex problems; the potential for extreme violence and the abuse of power; and the roles that fear, peer pressure, indifference, greed and resentment can play in social and political relations.” It is lessons such as these, when reflecting upon the world we wish to live in and future we wish to create, that are essential to help youth and adults alike understand and embrace.

The South Carolina Council on the Holocaust continues to dedicate ourselves to providing quality professional development opportunities for SC teachers. Each year we offer two week long summer institutes for teachers, one day conferences, online and inperson seminars, and many other professional development opportunities to engage teachers in learning more about the Holocaust and how to teach it appropriately to their students. The SCCH is committed to fulfilling our vision of helping South Carolinians recognize the relevance of the Holocaust and human rights, apply it within their own lives, and work for the improvement of our society. ■