Board Chair of The Florida Holocaust Museum Calls Out Educators Who Delegitimize the Holocaust
In light of events in Florida and Texas, where educators denied or delegitimized the Holocaust, the Chairman of the Board of The Florida Holocaust Museum denounces preposterous claims that there are two sides to the Holocaust and highlights the vital importance of education to combat this kind of dangerous rhetoric.
Michael Igel, Board Chair of The Florida Holocaust Museum and Chair of the Florida Commissioner’s Task Force on Holocaust Education, released a statement strongly denouncing educators who claim that there were two sides to the Holocaust.
This comes on the heels of a twice fired Florida principal who refused to acknowledge the Holocaust as a historical fact, and a Texas school administrator instructing teachers to balance Holocaust education with books denying the atrocities.
In response to these events, Michael Igel released the following statement.
“There are two sides to many stories. However, some things are not up for debate. The Holocaust happened. There can be no ‘opposing view’ of a historical fact. If anyone questions the Holocaust, we can introduce you to people who were there. To the survivors, victims, and their families, this is personal. You can hear about my grandparents. They were there. You can also visit our museum or utilize our renowned educational materials where, using a portion of the more than 19,000 objects we have in our collection, we teach. It is days like this where I am reminded our work is not done, and I am glad we are here.”
As Chair of the Florida Commissioner’s Task Force on Holocaust Education, Igel advises the Commissioner on issues relating to Holocaust education and helps to implement educational standards surrounding the Holocaust in the state of Florida.
About The Florida Holocaust Museum
One of the largest Holocaust museums in the country, and one of three nationally accredited Holocaust museums, The Florida Holocaust Museum honors the memory of millions of men, women and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. The FHM is dedicated to teaching members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. For additional information, please visit https://www.thefhm.org.
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