Yad Vashem and the State of Holocaust Education in Israeli Schools in the 1960s

Abstract

In March 1960, Yad Vashem, in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Education, surveyed Israeli school principals about Holocaust education and observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day in their schools. This article analyzes the results of that survey and how it was used by Yad Vashem to begin a dialogue with Israeli schools over how the Holocaust should be taught. In particular, the survey reveals that Israeli students were far more likely to study the Holocaust through their literature readers than their history textbooks. Finally, it shows that the Eichmann trial only accelerated changes in Holocaust education that had already begun.