Lessons of the Holocaust and the Responsibility of Educators in Times of Crisis

During my studies, I stumbled upon a large collection of German books about the Holocaust in the library of the Zagreb Goethe-Institut. I realised that none of my previous formal education had prepared me to fully comprehend this topic. From that moment on, I have diligently developed my own perspective on this profoundly disturbing history. I have visited dozen of concentration camps across Europe and returned multiple times to Auschwitz‑Birkenau, as well as several of its sub‑camps this summer. In the Jasenovac Memorial Area I have acted in various capacities (teacher, educator, guide, reviewer) for many years, and I remain convinced that its full educational potential is still not deployed in a systematic or thoughtful manner.

Today, I consider myself an educator on the Holocaust. In this role, I have consciously chosen to be an “upstander” - someone who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice, denial, or relativization. While the historical uniqueness of the Holocaust should neither be equated with nor directly compared to current crises, there nevertheless exists a moral imperative: wherever signs of mass violence appear, the educational message of the Holocaust must be invoked - ensuring that systematic dehumanisation and extermination are never allowed again.

Silence or a Clear Ethical Stance?

For decades, Holocaust education has aimed to raise awareness of the mechanisms leading to genocide - through recognising propaganda patterns, societal indifference, systemic dehumanisation, and escalation of violence against civilians. Yet the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza poses an exceptionally complex question for educators: can we remain on the sidelines when before our very eyes are unfolding the very patterns we teach as prerequisites for mass atrocities?

International human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the United Nations warn of serious breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza -killings of civilians, collective punishment, and denial of basic living conditions. Many of these patterns echo those highlighted by Holocaust education—but they rarely feature in professional discourse. Institutions such as Yad Vashem or the Auschwitz Memorial often condemn misuse of historical comparisons and express solidarity with Israel, while seldom explicitly addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Such selective engagement with universal human rights raises serious questions about the consistency and ethical credibility of Holocaust education.

These reflections do not ignore the conflict’s complexity. Israel has an inalienable right to exist and to defend its citizens, while Hamas - recognised globally as a terrorist organization - committed profoundly disturbing crimes against civilians on October 7, 2023. Its political and ideological narrative, including the slogan “From the river to the sea,” frequently chanted at protests, implies the erasure of the State of Israel, which stands in opposition to universal human rights and peace education ethics.

Yet condemning terrorism cannot justify collective punishment of civilian populations, nor negate the moral obligation to identify and name all forms of dehumanisation and mass violence - regardless of the perpetrator. It is in the ability to differentiate that the educational value of historical consciousness, as taught through Holocaust lessons, resides.

Between Academic Responsibility and Social Risk

The question remains: can a Holocaust educator uphold their ethical principles by staying silent in the face of violence that in many respects reflects the lessons of the past? Those who speak out publicly - like Omer Bartov and Raz Segal, who argue that events in Gaza fulfill legal and moral criteria for genocide - often face condemnation, accusations of antisemitism, and institutional pressure. Yet silence carries the risk of ethical discreditation of the educational process.

“Our inescapable conclusion is that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.”
- Omer Bartov, The New York Times, July 15, 2025

Raz Segal, an Israeli expert on modern genocidal crimes and professor at Stockton University, describes Israel’s approach to Gaza as “a textbook case of genocidal intent,” calling the rationalization of violence “a shameful misuse of Holocaust lessons.”

In this context, it is worth recalling Michael Rothberg’s concept of multidirectional memory - the idea that different historical traumas need not compete for attention, but can be considered in parallel, fostering ethical solidarity and reflection. Holocaust education grounded in universal human rights must resonate in times of present evil.

Between Educational Mission and Conscience

For history teachers, this dilemma is not abstract. It concerns educational purpose, professional integrity, and personal ethics. If one of the goals of history teaching is to develop students’ ability to recognise and respond to injustice, silence in the face of current violence calls that goal’s credibility into question. As UNESCO recommends in its guidelines on Holocaust teaching:

Teachers should provide space for ethical discussions about contemporary forms of violence and discrimination, without fear of censorship or instrumentalization of history.
— UNESCO, 2019

Contemporary students seek meaning and relevance in history. If educational systems fail to respond, the Holocaust risks being seen by young people merely as “another lesson from the past,” rather than a powerful warning and call to action. Simultaneously, we must preserve the Holocaust’s uniqueness and exercise caution in drawing historical parallels to avoid trivialising history.

Responsibility Toward the Future

Holocaust education does not end when students learn the definitions of genocide or memorise dates of atrocities. It becomes meaningful when it encourages them to reflect on the world around them - to perceive injustice and act on ethical values.

Amid increasing social and political polarisation, I view my role as a Holocaust educator not only as a professional duty, but as a deeply personal and moral obligation. Because of this, I am acutely aware that in the coming period I must intensify efforts to teach about the Holocaust, antisemitism, and universal human rights - particularly within Croatian society, where the relativization of the Ustaša regime is growing more open and where denialism of what truly happened at Jasenovac Camp is increasing.

Such an environment demands from every educator clarity, persistence, and courage - not in service of ideology, but in service of truth. Because education that does not recognise and name evil - even when doing so is unpopular - ceases to be education and becomes mere administration of memory. And we teachers must never allow fear of backlash to silence us exactly where our voice must most matter.

Therefore, I call on all colleagues engaged in Holocaust history and education not to neglect their own conscience and professional responsibility. Let us open space for professional dialogue - in schools, at conferences, in academic journals, and on social media. This topic is neither simple nor safe - but if we do not strive to address it with integrity, the lessons of the Holocaust lose their meaning.

NOTE: This is a translation of my essay originally published in Croatian. How to cite the original: Hajdarovic, M. (2025). Pouke Holokausta i odgovornost edukatora u vremenu krize. Clionaut Akademija. URL: https://povijest.net/ca/2025/pouke-holokausta-i-odgovornost-edukatora-u-vremenu-krize/