A member of the Calgary Jewish Federation says expanding Alberta’s Holocaust curriculum is “critical” to combat antisemitism in Calgary junior high schools.
On Monday, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Alberta government announced it will include Holocaust education in the new draft social studies curriculum for Grades 7 to 9. According to a news release, this will fulfill the province’s goal of teaching students about injustices faced by historically marginalized communities.
This is an expansion of an announcement made in November 2023, when the government made Holocaust education a mandatory part of the social studies curriculum. The K to 6 social studies curriculum, which began piloting last September, also includes content on antisemitism.
“I firmly believe we must do everything possible to combat rising antisemitism and educate young Albertans about the realities of antisemitism. Ensuring all students learn about the injustices faced by those who historically were, and continue to be, marginalized, or who have experienced discrimination will help us confront hate and build stronger communities,” Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in an emailed statement on Monday.
“Alberta’s government is dedicated to ensuring that current and future generations are aware of the horrors of the Holocaust and antisemitism. The grade 7-9 social studies curriculum is being developed in Alberta, through consultation with education partners in Alberta and the topics of antisemitism are continued from the K-6 curriculum. More information on the draft grades 7-9 social studies curriculum will be available prior to piloting, which is planned for the 2025 -2026 school year.”
Ending discrimination through education: Libin
Lisa Libin, president of the Calgary Jewish Federation, said she is “super encouraged” by the announcement because the organization has been advocating for Holocaust education for years.
She told LiveWire Calgary that she is grateful that the government has mandated Holocaust education into the curriculum for all students. According to Libin, the CJF is “already overwhelmed” with the number of Jewish students facing antisemitism in their classrooms and schools. Currently, there are around 9,500 Jewish people in Calgary – around 5,000 to 6,000 of them are children, she said.
“I think it shows more and more how important Holocaust curriculum is, and the fact it hasn’t been taught in schools — except for in Grade 11 right now — is actually quite surprising to many,” she said.
“Having it expanded into additional grades is very welcome.”
Libin noted that the timing of the announcement was important because the way to end antisemitism and discrimination is through education.
“We have to start it earlier … If you’re only teaching something like Holocaust education by the time they’re 15, 16 or 17 years old, a lot of the hate has already been instilled,” she said.
“To do that on International Holocaust Remembrance Day was an important connection.”
Libin said she hopes Calgary students will be able to learn about the effects of the Holocaust and what happens when people don’t view each other equally. The important lesson, she said, is what society cannot become.
She also urged parents to trust curriculum developers and experts because there is a way to teach students about the Holocaust in age-appropriate ways.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be about the gas chambers and the horrors of the Holocaust. Ultimately, it also comes down to talking about propaganda and inequality,” Libin said.
“History shows that hate doesn’t end with the Jews … Hate is hate. There are ways to be able to teach that lesson in age-appropriate ways throughout without it always being disturbing or scary. The underlying lessons of the Holocaust are just as important, if not more so, than what the Holocaust actually was.”
