Toronto (January 25, 2019) -Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is deeply concerned over recent poll results that reveal a shocking lack of knowledge of the Holocaust among Canadians.

The poll – which was conducted for Azrieli Foundation and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany and surveyed 1,100 Canadians – reveals that 54 per cent of the respondents did not know that six million Jews perished during the Holocaust, 22 per cent of millennials and generation Z have not heard of the Holocaust, 52 per cent of millennials could not name a single concentration camp or ghetto and around one-quarter of Canadians think that less than two million Jewish people died during the Holocaust.

Additionally, nearly six out of 10 respondents said people care less about the Holocaust than they used to.

“These findings are extremely unsettling and serve as a warning sign that if the education system does not reform its Holocaust education programming, we risk future generations forgetting about the Holocaust,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “Without this knowledge of history and the dangers of hatred among both adults and young people, there’s a higher chance of history repeating itself.”

FSWC works with schools and educators every day, providing Holocaust education to students in-house and on the Tour for Humanity,inspiring them to stand up against antisemitism, hate and intolerance. This weekend, in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, FSWC will host the annual National Policy Conference on Holocaust Education – a meaningful and thought-provoking conference that will feature international speakers and Holocaust educators and experts, who will speak to and educate an audience of educators, directors of education and other community members.

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Media Contact:

Avital Borisovsky
Communications Associate
416-864-9735 ext. 29
aborisovsky@fswc.ca