California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and state Sen. Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) are urging support for Senate Bill 693, the Never Again Education Act, which will increase education on genocide, including the Holocaust.

Thurmond has sponsored the bill, authored by Stern, because it would help address the growing knowledge gap among young Americans about the Holocaust and other recent genocides by offering new teaching methods and enhanced resources for teachers and students. The goal is to combat a recent rise in antisemitism, Holocaust denial and acts of hatred.

SB 693 will establish the Governor’s Council on Genocide and Holocaust Education, assembling experts on teaching about genocides and the Holocaust. New curriculum could help students learn the complex subject matter and embrace the importance of diversity, human rights and the responsibilities of citizens to combat misinformation, indifference and discrimination, Thurmond said.

The California Department of Education is also helping to provide more resources to schools as they navigate and respond to incidents of hate. The work builds on Thurmond’s Education to End Hate Initiative, a multifaceted effort launched in 2020 to provide training, resources and tools to prevent incidents of hate and bias, including antisemitism.

For information, visit facebook.com/caeducation.