Holocaust Study and Remembrance in Wyoming

• Survey results

• Survey by Sara Robinson in classroom administered on paper, Spring 2010.

• Survey by Seth Ward administered by email, December 2010

The Holocaust in Education – January 201037 respondents who graduated from Wyoming high schools

What is your class standing? Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Other8 10 9 9 1

What is your age? 18-20 21-23 24-26 Over 2621 9 5 2

In which state (or country, if not within the U.S.) did you attend high school?Wyoming = 37

Are you of Jewish descent? Yes No Prefer not to answer1 36 0

What motivated you to enroll in HIST/RELI 2080 ‘Holocaust’? (circle all that apply)Personal interest Fulfilled a requirement Fit into my schedule Other33 10 4 1

The time spent in Holocaust studies at the high school I attended amounted to (approximately): None One DayOne Week Two Weeks Three Weeks One Month Longer6 4 7 12 3 4 1

I feel that more emphasis should be placed on Holocaust education in high school Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree0 1 6 24 6

I feel confident in my knowledge of the Holocaust Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree0 5 22 10 0

Please rate your knowledge of the Holocaust:Very Little Very Knowledgeable1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100 1 2 3 10 11 7 1 1 1

My knowledge of the Holocaust primarily comes from: (circle all that apply)School Personal Reading/Study Films Other* All of these24 16 14 4 1

*Other = (1) trip to concentration camp in Europe; (1) Jewish friends; (1) History Channel; (1) Visit to USHMM

I am aware of Holocaust Remembrance programs (outside of class) at UWStrongly Disagree DisagreeNeutral Agree Strongly Agree4 13 11 9 0

The Holocaust in Education – January 2010Non-Wyoming respondents – 23 total

What is your class standing? Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Other4 7 9 2 1

What is your age? 18-20 21-23 24-26 Over 26 No answer13 6 0 3 1

In which state (or country, if not within the U.S.) did you attend high school?

Colorado = 11Idaho = 1Nebraska = 1Utah = 1

Arizona = 1California = 1Florida = 1Oregon = 1Texas = 1Washington = 1France = 1No answer = 2

Are you of Jewish descent? Yes No Prefer not to answer0 23 0

What motivated you to enroll in HIST/RELI 2080 ‘Holocaust’? (circle all that apply)Personal interest Fulfilled a requirement Fit into my schedule Other15 7 4 2

The time spent in Holocaust studies at the high school I attended amounted to (approximately): None One Day One Week 2 Weeks 3 Weeks One Month Longer6 3 8 4 1 1 0

I feel that more emphasis should be placed on Holocaust education in high school Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Agree1 1 4 9 8

I feel confident in my knowledge of the Holocaust Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree5 11 5 2 0

Please rate your knowledge of the Holocaust:Very Little Very Knowledgeable1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100 1 2 5 6 2 3 4 0 0

My knowledge of the Holocaust primarily comes from School Personal Reading/Study Films Other*12 14 10 1

*Other = lived in Germany and visited sites

I am aware of Holocaust Remembrance programs (outside of class) at UWStrongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree3 8 6 5 1

Wyoming Electronic Survey – results as of December 16, 2010

1. What is your class standing?Freshman 2 7% Sophomore 1 4%Junior 9 32% Senior 9 32%Graduate 1 4%Faculty or Staff 3 11%Other 3 11%Total Respondents 28 100%

2. What is your age? __________Response Average 32Total Respondents 28

3. In which state (or country, if not within the U.S.) did you attend high school? Under 30: 10 Wyoming, 2 Colorado 1 each: MT, NE, no answer.Over 30: only one WYO.

4. Are you of Jewish descent?Yes 7 25% No 19 68%Prefer not to Answer 0 0% Other, please specify 3 11%

(Under 30: 25%)

5. Have you enrolled in Holocaust courses at UW? If so, w hat motivated you?Personal interest 2 8%Fulfilled a requirement 0 0% Fit into my schedule 0 0%(Have not enrolled) 24 92% Other, please specify 1 4%

6. To what extent have you studied the Holocaust at UW or at a Community College, or participated in events that memorialize it?

I took or plan to take UW's HIST/RELI 2080: The Holocaust 1 4%

I took or plan to take a UW faculty-lead study abroad course with visits to Holocaust sites or Holocaust memorials 2 7%

I took a semester course on the Holocaust at a Wyoming Community College (such as EWC or CWC) 1 4%

I took a course at another college or university outside Wyoming 2 7%

The subject was covered at length in some other course(s) 6 21%

I attended (a) film(s) on campus w ith a Holocaust theme 4 14%

I attended a lecture by a Holocaust Survivor on campus 2 7%

I attended a lecture by a UW faculty member and/or panel discussions including faculty and/or staff or students 2 7%

7. The time spent in Holocaust studies at the high school I attended amounted to (approximately):None 10 36% One Day 5 18% One Week 8 29% Two Weeks 3 11% Three Weeks 1 4% One Month 1 4% Longer 0 0% Total Respondents 28 100%

8. I feel that more emphasis should be placed on Holocaust education in high schoolStrongly Disagree 0 0% Disagree 3 11% Agree 15 54% Strongly Agree 10 36% . . . 14. If you are interested in organizing or attending Holocaust events please feel free to add your contact information: 10 provided info.

RESPONSES to “Holocaust Studies are important because… “

It is important to discuss motivation rather than irrationality

History is important - in knowing who we are, what has caused us to come to this point in time.

We need to learn from our history and make sure it never happens again.

We wouldn't want it to happen again.

It brings together many academic disciplines to analyze and understand why and how the Nazis did what they did.

It is an important part of history that anti-Semitism overlooks.

We need to know history, where we've been so as not to go there again.

It is important to understand history in order to reason with why certain events occur. The Holocaust is one of those events so horrible and so surprising

it is difficult NOT to study it.

They allow students to become aware of the atrocities that can be committed when people are complacent.

Important part of history.

They help us understand the past and apply it to today.

They teach about people and what people are capable of. You get to see both the very good and the very bad.

This was a huge event that occurred in history. People should be aware of this event because it can’t happen again.

It is always important to remember the past so history won’t repeat itself.

It’s part of everyone’s history, and even though it’s a difficult subject, we need to learn from our mistakes, so we don’t make them again.

It shows what mistakes were made in the past, and how we can recognize if they’re being made again to prevent another mass genocide of a people.

It is a part of history that has affected many lives and I believe we can learn from it and maybe prevent it or something like it from happening again.

If it is not taught it can/will repeat itself.

It was a big deal in history.

They educate individuals of the context and history of mass murder/genocide. The Holocaust can be used to help explain current political events that cover similar grounds like Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Darfur, and etc…

We need to understand how this happened to help the future. Also to understand that we are all equal and no one should have to go through this.

It had a large impact on the world.

It shows us the supreme power government has in doing what they want, and having the power to cover it up.

If we do not fully understand what happened then we may repeat it.

We need to look into the past to understand the present. There are many things happening now that resemble the Holocaust.

We need to know about it, it’s a huge deal and even though what happened was terrible it is interesting to learn about.

Same reason history as a whole is important, learn about past mistakes in order to prevent them from happening again.

To learn so we can prevent future and stop current genocide. Our generation as a whole needs to be more aware.

It was a part of Nazi policy during WWII that affected many countries. It was also a mass genocide that should be studied.

They give or provide a means of understanding how quickly power can shift to an unhealthy source in large societies, which shifts are facilitated through the flattery that some groups of people are inherently better than other groups of people.

It shows that genocide is a real horrible thing. It teaches of the circumstances surrounding this genocide, maybe it can help prevent it from happening on this massive scale again.

We can honor the people who died by learning about the Holocaust in order to prevent something similar from happening in the future.

They help lead to an understanding of how discrimination can have dire consequences. It also shows how people should speak out against the discrimination they see.

It was a major event that changed history. The blind hatred and horrific murders/treatment of human beings as nothing more than animals should not be forgotten or belittled in the world.

It was a tragic occurrence in history that by learning about it we can learn from it and not have any more similar repeats.

You learn about the things that happened during the Holocaust.

It is an event in history that NEEDS to be remembered.

Wouldn’t want to people to forget about something like the Holocaust.

We can’t forget or disregard what happened just because it is not happening anymore. To study it is one way to possibly prevent another from happening.

The broader we are about various subjects, the better we are as people.

We need to remember how horrible it was so that we can keep it from happening again.

It was the epitome of hatred and violence and it is important that we are educated on it to avoid discrimination in the future.

It was a time of such hate, that we as a people should study the horrors of how race can portray so much hatred.

It was a major historical event.

It is extremely an unknown event as far as accurate details go and I feel developing a better study will help eliminate anti-Semitism.

Knowledge of any historical events help in planning and taking action on events today.

They teach you about what has happened in history especially important because history repeats itself.

It is important to understand that if certain events and signs are ignored by the rest of the world, things can turn out very badly, the world must be conscious of the world around us.

It was an important time in history and people should be aware of what happened.

They are a part of history that needs to be known and needs to be acknowledged.

Awareness and education help to prevent such events in the future.

Nobody should be forgotten especially the people who lost their lives. If we can have a better understanding of why it happened we can try to stop it from happening again.

It’s good to be able to spot the breaking down of economics and to be able to forecast and prevent another Holocaust.

If we forget, we will be less able to prevent it if it were to happen again. We should not forget what humans are capable to do to other humans.

It is important to remember and recognize not only those who lost their lives but those who survived.

This blemish on human history should not be forgotten but preserved for future generations.

It is an important part of history and is something that should not be ignored.

We need a firm understanding of mistakes we made in the past so we don’t repeat them.

it is wrong to persecute people, any people

many people do not understand the severity of the Holocaust and the impact it had on the history of Jewish people.

It is part of our recent past, and people's lives have been touched indirectly until today. It is also an important part of world history that helped shaped the way Europe looks today; also, as it is fascinating on personal levels, the actual facts can easily be skewed. It is important to learn them in a reliable way.

Understanding systems of power and control give us the means to prevent their recurrence.

I'm not aware that review of the holocaust specifically is as important as the reminders of the wide array of horrific things that have been done by humans to humans throughout history. The holocaust is certainly a prime example of such atrocities and is in a good position for education being one of the most visible such events in recent history. However, an overemphasis on the holocaust can have the effect of downplaying other events and lead to the idea that it is somehow isolated or a singular event when a wider view of these things would provide more depth on how and when they happen and how they might be avoided.

We have to remember our past unless we want to repeat the same mistakes

The very tragic and horrific occurences, of targeted Jews, should be known around the world.

There is an old saying that seems appropriate here. Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.

This kind of violence and hatred is cyclical against a great variety of minority cultures, races, religions, etc.

Society should never forget the past. Even when that past is ugly. If we choose to blot the horrific experiences of the Holocaust from memory than we are in greater danger of something like that happening again.

They teach us the past and show others how evil a few people can be because we are all different. It is important to stop this horrible human acts across the globe.

Holocaust denial grows when ignorance permits it

they remind people of what can happen when people are indifferent or apathetic. Meanwhile horrible things are happening all over the world today and we still turn a blind eye.it makes aware of what happened to these people and for it not to happen again

This could fill a very lengthy essay. My quick response is: because genocide is alive and well in the 21st century, and because anti-semitism is also thriving.

Well, first, history is important because it traces the political, moral and intellectual development of a nation (or the human race). Holocaust studies are important because it traces the development of ideas, actions and morality that led to the event, not to mention the human suffering. Furthermore, awareness could preclude future indecencies (though, sadly, not likely).

History unfortunately can repeat itself. Genocide is still occurring. It was a horrific event in history and some people still don't believe it happened.