Learn what Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke about at the Holocaust Museum & Tolerance Center

Governor Kathy Hochul joined former Congressman Steve Israel and Storyteller, Dana Arschin for a fireside chat at the Holocaust Museum & Tolerance Center Friday afternoon to address the rise of antisemitism and the importance of Holocaust education in public schools.

Hochul highlighted her commitment to ensuring compliance with New York's law requiring Holocaust instruction in schools. She emphasized the need for accountability, referencing recent legislation mandating the state Department of Education to survey districts on their Holocaust education efforts.

Reflecting on a prior forum at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Hochul expressed her ongoing dedication to monitoring and improving Holocaust education, even though she does not have direct control over the curriculum.

“I want to track that in schools, because it is the law that they're supposed to be teaching this,” she said at the event. “I wasn't convinced that it was actually occurring. I always want the data. I want the proof. And so we put in motion at that time in a conversation around anti semitism, we hosted 10 other Holocaust survivors (at the Museum of Jewish Heritage), so I found out the data today, which is that 100 percent of the school districts that have secondary middle schools are teaching it, and the vast majority actually have supplemental programming around this.”