The Correlations Between Holocaust Moral Attitudes and Moral Lessons

Abstract

This study presents correlations found between moral attitudes expressed by Israeli high-school students in response to Holocaust and post-Holocaust moral dilemmas and the lessons they learnt from Holocaust learning. 102 Israeli high-school students responded to a Moral Attitudes questionnaire and a Lessons Learned questionnaire. The research aimed to examine whether particular moral attitudes correlated with specific lessons perceived to have been acquired from the Holocaust Learning Program. This was an innovative attempt to look for these kinds of correlations. The findings are divided into two parts: the first part presents the correlations found between seven Holocaust era dilemmas categories and the lessons categories. The second part presents the correlations found between seven Post-Holocaust era dilemmas categories and lessons categories. A significant linear connection (correlation) was found between participants’ moral attitudes regarding the seven Holocaust and seven post-Holocaust dilemma categories and at least one of the two lessons categories. The conclusion is that Holocaust learning including exposure to Holocaust moral dilemmas reinforced moral thinking and participants' understanding of human difficulties and needs. When we look at the correlations between Post-Holocaust era moral attitudes and the perceived moral lessons the conclusion is that: insofar as the moral attitude is more critical, the lessons learned will be more influential. Insofar as the moral attitude is more compassionate the lessons learned will be less radical. Insofar as the moral attitude is more open-minded and flexible, the lessons learned give more consideration to other people’s needs and universal values.