Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: We're live.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So this is the Senate Education Committee on Thursday, February 19. We're just gonna spend the first hour and a half of our afternoon. Exploring, listening to stories about anti Semitism around schools. We're not near about a specific bill, I want make that clear to people, and it's really just an awareness building. Maybe reference some things that people wish, would like us to do, that's fine, We do not have a bill in front of us. We're not talking about a bill. That's not what's going on here today. You're gonna watch the video. I was driving down, I think, from Montpelier one day last summer from, I think, Elkhart, and Maggie once called me. Right? So on the interstate, talking to you, my truck and Maggie just asked me about the possibility of open hearing like this sometime this session. And I said, Yes, thought that would make sense. It's a good thing for us to do. It turns out today's the day. And we have some witnesses that Maggie has lined up, and just one thing before I forget, so I don't forget to say it. We have some kids here, younger people who are gonna testify, students. And we normally ask students where they're from about the school, we're not gonna do that today, And just so just just their name got sent. And so I have to go. That's what we're doing. Maggie, to get things started, I guess we should introduce ourselves for people who don't know all of us who are here.

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Hi. I'm Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale. I think we determined at this time in, the Senate, I am the only person who identifies as Jewish.

[Senator Nader Hashim]: Howard Hashim from the Newtown.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Good afternoon, David Weeks and serve Rutland Council. I'm Seth Bongartz from Bennington Senate District.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: I'm Terry Williams from the Rutland District. Welcome, I'm Steven Heffernan from Madison County District.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Okay. So now, Maggie.

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: Hello. For the record, Maggie Lunz. Today, I'm here on behalf of Shalom Alliance. Shalom Alliance is an organization that focuses on antisemitism in K-twelve and also in Vermont communities. I'm gonna keep my piece really short so you have more witnesses in here, but I just wanna say a couple things to get this started. I feel like it tells you everything you need to know right now, the kind of attention that this has in the room. It's not positive attention and shaking. Everyone has the right to be here. But it's a lot of pressure. I can only imagine how the kids feel. I'm shaking, and I do this for a living. I grew up here also in Vermont, went to school. I won't say which school also. It's experienced some really intense, just classic antisemitism. I should start with this. I work with Shalom Alliance, but I'm also Jewish. I'm the granddaughter of one Holocaust survivor. None of this that you're gonna hear today, because I think these accusations happen a lot, is going to be Jewish people trying to compete and for saying that ours is worse than anyone else's, that we somehow are shutting out other people's trauma and hard experiences by talking about ours. But we are just here to talk about ours right now. This is our lived experience. We are going to be talking about ideal legislation we'd like to see because Vermont is the only state in New England without Holocaust education requirement. But mostly, this is about the experiences. We do think an education requirement would be one thing that could maybe help. And I quickly wanna just say, so an example of something, I haven't slept a lot. One of the reasons I'm shaking is because late last night, I got a text from a friend with some I've seen a lot of antisemitic things. This one has really just This one really hit me a bit sorely. Some messages that were discovered from an employee of just a Vermont, a large Montemployer medical institution. This is not on the business. I agree that they're actually acting really appropriately. This is more to tell you what the environment looks like. This was posted publicly enough that people could see it on Facebook and Instagram. The name of the person is not important, but I just want to give you a couple examples of what I read. I will never trade what I think of them for a desk job. Thank you. Them being when the person asked, them being Jews? Good to know. You hate other groups too or just Jews? And this person says, I prefer to call them hook nose hinies. It worked in certain camps to me. They went that way pointing and you get the point. There's more. We're done explaining our right to exist. A Jewish person wrote, and this person wrote, Good, I crave you to shut the fuck up. I'm so sorry for my language. Okay, so this just happened, and so I'm not doing a very good job articulating it or explaining it. But this is an environment that we're in,

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: and I really want you

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: to hear from the other people now who have more things to say about their current experiences. But it's it's really hard. It's really hard. Thank you

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: for listening. Yeah. I'm thinking for yeah. Thank you, ma'am.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Back to Rabbi.

[Lex Lehten (Student)]: I Pretty close, yeah. Okay.

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: I'm Rabbi David Pinsdale. Okay. I see you. Thank you for having me, Chair Bongartz and members of this committee, and thank you for this opportunity. I come before you as the rabbi of the Jewish community of Greater Stowe for more than twelve years, representing our members and our families who live in more than, counted over 20 different towns in Vermont, spanning multiple school districts from Lemoyle to Chittenden, from the Northeast Kingdom to Mad River Valley. I'm also a parent of three children in three different Vermont public schools. I speak as a third generation descendant of Holocaust survivors and as someone carrying the history of Stowe and beyond where generations of Jews were barred from local hotels and excluded from community life. I come to share some very sad and some quite appalling stories from local Vermont schools, and how our Vermont youth need our support, even as children and teens show tremendous resilience in the face of ignorance and antisemitism. And like Maggie, I echoed this as a very difficult topic. Is very tough to sit here before you and share this, and I know for many in this room. Before moving to Vermont, I was a city boy and lived in cities with sizable Jewish populations. And that background did not prepare me for the rural antisemitism our children encounter. There's often limited knowledge about Jews and Judaism. Christianity shapes much of the visible culture in our schools. So Jewish families experience what we call the December dilemma, where Christmas is treated as entirely secular and universally shared. Christmas ornaments are displayed throughout schools. Christmas movies are shown before the winter breaks, and students are regularly invited to make things like Christmas ornaments and other activities like cookies with Christmas cutters. These practices communicate whose traditions are centered and whose are peripheral. Beyond cultural exclusion, students face more direct antisemitism, something more insidious. About ten years ago, after a swastika appeared in a local school, we gathered a group of teens from our congregation. When I asked whether they had experienced antisemitism, every hand shot up. Last week, another swastika was found in the school bathroom. A parent shared that he had to explain to a friend and fellow parent in the school, an adult, why that symbol carries a specific and profound impact for Jews. A high school senior at another local school told me that she had seen so many swastikas in bathrooms that she could not count them. Students have had pennies thrown at them, echoing stereotypes about Jews and money, that family leaving the school after repeated harassment. A group of one teen's peers shook change in their pockets and hung the Jewish melody to mock the students. A preteen was called a, quote, stupid Jew. One student shared that he had been bombarded with anti Semitic messages online on his social media feed, including comments minimizing the Holocaust. A young girl saw International Holocaust Memorial Day written on a school calendar board just a couple weeks ago, and heard classmates mock the word Holocaust, and watched one even take her finger and cross out the word. In a middle school art class, students, I can't believe I'm saying this, students created a Hitler puppet and were developing a puppet described as a Jew in a burning house, until the Jewish student in the class went to the principal. Several students expressed how extreme anti Israel sentiment prevalent in some schools has made it very difficult for them to express their Jewish identities openly. And I wanna recount one family who described their child's experience across three different Vermont schools. In elementary school during a unit on World War II, another student turned to him and said that he would have put him in the gas chambers. In middle school, he injured pennies thrown at him, comments about his nose, and written slurs like kike and f Jews. In high school, he often hears remarks that he must be rich because he is Jewish. He generally hears negative and stereotypical comments about Jewish people directed at him, and he sees swastikas in bathrooms. As a result, he hides his Jewish identity at school. His parents, meanwhile, express shock at the frequency of these experiences and describes the gap between Vermont's self image as welcoming and what their child encounters day to day. In the father's own words, We have often wondered if we made the right choice in moving to Vermont over twenty five years ago, seeing what our kids have experienced here as a Jewish family, end quote. It breaks my heart to say that across these stories, students often stand alone in the moment. Peers, even their own friends, rarely step forward to support them. These incidents span multiple schools and districts and reflect a broader culture that requires serious attention. Educators and administrators have a central role in shaping school environments and equipping students with knowledge and tools that foster understanding. In preparation for coming to the State House for this visit, I convened three separate groups at our synagogue, parents of older teenagers, parents and youth in our bar and bat mitzvah class, and our synagogue education committee to ask them what they wanted to see. Families and students from our community identified several priorities. Students spoke about widespread ignorance and asked for a more balanced approach, especially to how holidays are dressed as grids. They asked for education about world religions and history classes, including Judaism, as a matter of civic literacy. This supports informed citizenship and mutual respect. I have to ask, how can we send students into our greater world without a basic understanding of the tenets of the major world religions? Education about the Holocaust and antisemitism should be embedded in the curriculum. I shared earlier that I'm third generation of Holocaust survivors. I personally had 200 relatives murdered in the Holocaust in Poland. So I can't comprehend how a child in Vermont can graduate high school without having learned about the Holocaust, to learn about Nazi horrors in age appropriate ways so that it will never be repeated, to learn that The US closed its borders to Jews before the Holocaust, to learn about other genocide's perpetrators. This work requires well trained teachers so that learning deepens understanding and strengthens school culture. Educators also need clear guidance and training on how to respond to bias incidents in ways that address harm and support repair. Responses can focus on what occurred, who was affected, and how the school community moves forward. We need restorative processes that center the needs of those harmed and help build accountability and belonging. Ultimately, it's about creating cultures in our schools of belonging. This is not about one off assemblies after something bad happens. Our schools have such a rich and wonderful opportunity to cultivate cultures of empathy and upstander behavior through sustained dialogue, role play, consistent modelling of respectful conduct. It's not easy to respond to hateful comments or behaviour. Students need to practice how to respond when someone is targeted. Every student benefits when schools affirm that they are not alone, when each child can show up fully as themselves, whether they're Jewish, LGBTQ plus, BIPOC, immigrant, or from any minority or majority backup, we need to teach and model for kids. How do we treat others who are different from us? How do we cultivate healthy relationships and friendships? Local educators who are members of our synagogue also spoke about the importance of strong social studies education more broadly. In a larger culture that is trying to erase our shared history, teaching the history of slavery, Jim Crow, the genocide of Native Americans, and other chapters of American history strengthens civic understanding for all students. Our school cultures and our broader society desperately need more upstanders, people who, when the moment calls for it, will stand up for those being harmed. A comprehensive approach to history, education, and the creation of school cultures of belonging supports informed, engaged citizens. And before I close, I wanna acknowledge a few teenagers who will speak after me. It takes real courage to stand in a room like this and share painful experiences from your own life. It's hard to live them. It's hard to say them out loud, and I also know it's hard

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: to hear

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: this. To sit with the reality that these things are happening in our Vermont schools. I hope we meet them with bravery and this difficult truth with meaningful actions. I'm happy to take any questions if you have any.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Thank you. 12 year olds. Twelve twelve year long do you see a trend in your head?

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: I don't wanna say anecdotally, but the data supports it emphatically.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Sense of why that's happening? Why the gun line is going to go off the bench?

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: I think the politics that we're living in nationally is driving at for the past dozen years, at least. And I think obviously October 7 and the war in Gaza have exacerbated it as well. I

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: saw one here. So I just saw the bill as 310 H Street here. Yeah. And we had, I think it's similar to a cancer community in

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: the last planning. At stages. Yeah.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: So, know, and a bill isn't going to make any difference. I mean, it's societal trap. It's, I think, lot of ignorance, it gets passed on from generation to generation. So,

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: my Zaidi, my grandfather, who was a Holocaust survivor, who had a third or fourth grade education, would then have to go to work, would say to me frequently, in his broken Yiddish, Yiddishized

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: English,

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: he would say, Education is the most important thing. And I believe that, and our school's gonna make a huge difference. And if students are hearing things at school or online, we need to give them the tools as children so that they can grow up as citizens, adults, who are gonna change the culture of our world, of our communities here in Vermont, so we can be proud of those communities.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: Yes. I can remember growing up, seeing a commercial

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: of a

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: boy out on a boat, and he asked him, Oh, that's my Jewish friend. And the father's like, Why does that make a difference? And it's terrible that our society does it. For all people, it doesn't matter where we came from. And it's, you know, I'm glad you're bringing it to light. I didn't think it was as bad as it is. It's, it's pretty.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So I think you've kind of answered this, but what can we do to help? And I think you kind of answered it already, but just give me a chance to put forward one. I

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: think we need a Holocaust education and education in our schools. I think we also, like the educators in my community said, if they need broader education as well, that's mandated of historical periods. We need to empower our schools in whatever way we can to build culture. You know, it's how we build culture at school. Was at one of my kids' basketball games the other night, and just hearing the parents screaming at the kids, I'm like, That's not the kind of culture that I want here, you know? And how do we build the cultures, school cultures that are rooted in empathy and rooted in good citizenship?

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: So

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: that's.

[Lex Lehten (Student)]: My name is Vax Lehten, Chair of Bongartz and members of the Vermont Senate Committee on Education. I now attend college out of the country, but my experiences in Vermont schools were recent, and I felt it was important to return and speak about them. I'm here on hope that sharing what happened to me will help protect other Jewish students in Vermont who may be facing other similar experiences. I want you to understand what antisemitism has felt like in a Vermont public school over many years. For me, antisemitism first showed up in fifth grade. We were assigned a project to choose a great person from history, read about their biography, and present to the class as that person. One student chose Adolf Hitler, and during the presentation, the student described him as successful and said he achieved his goals, excuse me, and claimed he was justified in killing Jews because they did not let him into our school. The teacher allowed the presentation to proceed fully. Afterwards, there was no apology and no communication to parents. Instead, we were placed in a restorative circle and told that everyone is allowed to have their own truth, and we were told that antisemitism is not a problem in Montpelier. We were told what we experienced did not count. Over the years, there were constant smaller incidents, including harmful stereotypes repeated in front of me and important school events scheduled on high holidays year after year. Jewish students were made to explain themselves and asked for basic consideration. A few years ago, a swastika made of feces was smeared on a bathroom wall of the high school. The administration cleaned it up and publicly stated that it was not antisemitic. The police called. There were there was another restorative circle, and Jewish students were told that it was not anything hidden. After that, the bullying became more direct. It happened in class and in front of teachers. When I asked for help, nothing happened. Eventually, I fired I filed a formal federal civil rights complaint, and finally, meaningful action was taken. More recently, several swastikas were drawn at the high school. This time, it was identified as a hate crime and reported. That change happened after complaints and outstand involvement by the Attorney General's office. These experiences show why students need to understand how antisemitism develops, how it spreads, and how ordinary people can come to accept it. They need to recognize how propaganda works and how language can dehumanize. They need to understand that Nazi symbols carry a history of genocide and terror. Students also need to learn how antisemitism appears today, including conspiracy theories about Jewish power, rhetoric that questions Jewish belonging, casual use of Nazi coded imagery, and the minimalization of harm. Since October 7, many Jewish students have also experienced anti Semitism framed through global events, including being told that they are not welcome in certain spaces because of real or perceived connections to Israel or seeing language that erases Jewish identically entirely. Students need tools to distinguish between policy debate and targeting Jewish peers. Teachers need much stronger preparation and clearer guidance on how to respond when educators should know how to interrupt praise of extremist figures, how to correct misinformation about Jewish history, and how to prevent discussions about international conflict from turning into hostility towards Jewish youths. They need training that provides historical context, contemporary examples, and clear response protocols. They also need administrative backing that makes it clear that anti Semitism must be named directly and addressed consistently. When a student can praise Hitler in a classroom without immediate correction, it reflects a gap in preparation. When swastikas are dismissed or mischaracterized, students receive the message that the symbol does not carry its full meaning. When Jewish students are told that their experiences do not count, they learn that their safety depends on whether others choose to acknowledge it. Education should equip both students and educators to recognize antisemitism in its historical and contemporary forms, so what I experience is not repeated for the next generations. Thank you.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: Well said.

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Was very brave, and I just wonder how you're feeling now. Does it feel like you have to tell the story a lot to feel hurt? Is it angry?

[Lex Lehten (Student)]: Somewhat. It's it's annoying that I somehow have to explain myself towards people that don't fully understand, and they can't just accept perhaps, that, like, these things are happening. It's it's not just my experience. It's all over the state.

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: Thank you for being here.

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: Hello senators. Thank you for having me today. My name is Alex Young Springer and I'm a ninth grader. I'm a Jewish student and I attend public schools. And last year I served here as a legislative page. I'm here today to talk about my experiences of antisemitism, which I experienced all throughout middle school, starting when I was in sixth grade, which predated my attacks on 10/07/2023, when I was told, shut the f up, you stupid Jew, several times. Students would say things like they were going to wipe out all the Jews. This was the first time I had experienced true Jewish aid from numerous students who spoke those words so casually. And it was stressful and deeply concerning to me to hear these types of statements. In seventh grade, anti Semitic language and incidents continued, including gestures and statements like, A student told me that they hated me because I was Jewish. In eighth grade, a swastika was drawn in a school bathroom and students would do the Nazis move. There were also anti Semitic comments made of the students saying that he haunted Jews in Germany or kids idolizing Hitler by saying they loved him. I also was aware of Jewish hate being spread on social media with AI generated Hitler's being shared among students. And comments shared like Hitler was right and I hate Jews. It is important to also realize that many of the comments I described, they were not being made directly to me, but were being said generally as jokes to other students. These issues continue to be a problem today, and that is why I'm here today to share my story with all of you. I think that having Holocaust and anti Semitism instruction starting before high school would increase students understanding of why antisemitic gestures and statements can harm Jewish and other students. Many students do not understand the meaning behind these comments and historical significance they carry and a harm they may cause. Prior to ninth grade, my classmates and I essentially had little to no education on the Holocaust and antisemitism. This lack of education allowed Jewish faith to spread easily since students had no awareness of the severity of what they were saying or gesturing, and often classmates would join it. Not only is this bad for Jewish students, but it also it was also a disservice to all students who should not be moving to middle school, not understanding the meaning of the same speech and hateful gestures. I've worked directly with Vermont Holocaust Memorial to support efforts to expand Holocaust education in Vermont, which I know is the only state in New England not to have mandatory Holocaust education. I've tried to turn this negative experience these negative experiences I've had into positive work with the memorial to help ensure other students in the future don't have to hear me say full comments or see swastikas drawn at their schools or seek students doing mouths and gestures. Thank you for your time, and please let me know if you have any questions.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: You're in ninth grade, Yes. That's have yeah. Of course, you're okay. Have you been the same as your systems? Yes. I've been with the same systems. And When you were in second, third, fourth grade? Or did it just not start early you got to middle school?

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: I really it started when I got to sixth grade, and it was a shock to me since when I was in elementary school, I'd never heard any of this. This wasn't even I didn't know of it because I've never experienced it or heard of it. So, yeah.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: Yes. Thank you, Alex. Very, again, very compelling. What did your parents tell you about the Holocaust? When did did did you ever talk about so you had information about this prior to this? Because how soon, I guess,

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: and that could go to

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: the rabbi too, how soon do you think students would be ready to get them knowledge for the future?

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: Well, I my parents made sure to educate me about the Holocaust, make sure I understood the the historical significance it had and how it was just it was a huge bet in our history, and I feel that students could maybe get some education on it and starting even in elementary school, but definitely in middle school, education would be helpful to make sure students understand the background of the Holocaust and why saying some of these comments could be hurtful.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: And again, what did your parents When do you remember the first talking about it? Roughly how

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: it was going? Well, I was probably in second grade when they really explained to me, and I had a I've always had an interest in history and understanding what has happened. So I've definitely read books about it, but I'd have to thank my parents for really teaching me the meaning behind it and like and they're just educating me on it so I understood all of them.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Thank you, Alex. So when you were the elementary school in second or fourth grade, we heard the rap by Evan Knight, he referenced the two. Talk about the fact that Christian and all of us celebrated for you for the rest of the students along with you.

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: I would say that there's not much acknowledgment of Jewish holidays. So occasionally you would get a video explaining it, But I wouldn't say there was much, like, education on the holidays. It was. I

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: just had a similar comment or question because Burlington has such a rich Jewish history. Like, you know, as a Jewish person of color, you don't always have to learn about the Holocaust first. You can learn about all the contributions that that Jewish people and Jewish Americans have made. Do you feel like that would have been helpful early on to know that Burlington had a little Jerusalem and was so rich in Jewish history?

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: Yeah. Feel like tiny education in Jewish history would be very helpful. And yeah, it would be. But I also think that education on anti Semitism, how that can be so helpful in early age would also be very helpful. Just, like, tells you, it's not okay, and that it costs a lot of heart. And

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: I just I hope it doesn't get lost in all of this that Holocaust studies is particularly important in and around the University of Vermont. The president of the American Eugenics Survey was a UPM professor and was very influential on people like Adolf Hitler. When I go into Holocaust Studies class with the UPM, I try to remind them that Vermont had a hard and a very ugly notion around social engineering. Oh, yeah. Sure. You're really brave.

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: Thank you.

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: And I hope you saw that the chairs are exchanged in those.

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: Oh, yeah. I did see that you got better. Yeah.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: It was. Excellent. Thank you for coming.

[Vera Windham (Student)]: Hello.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Hi,

[Vera Windham (Student)]: Okay. I'm Vera Windham, and I am a k 12 graduate from Vermont. I'm currently a sophomore in college. I'm just gonna start with my written testimony. I didn't know what antisemitism was until middle school. I only learned what antisemitism was after I was targeted for my religion. Throughout middle school and up until tenth grade, I experienced lots of casual antisemitism and even a series of hate crimes. It started with casual Holocaust jokes and the Nazi salute being thrown up at me. I stayed silent because if I said something, that made me uncool. When my classmates realized this, they only became more emboldened. Casual jokes turned into swastikas being drawn on the window of the bus seat I sat in. One day I got on the bus, and as I had just barely gotten up the steps and turned to walk down the aisle, a handful of pennies fell at my feet followed by the words, pick them up, stupid Jew. I reported this incident to the school, and I believe the student received in school suspension for two days. That only made him more upset, and I became an even bigger target. Suddenly, I

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: was

[Vera Windham (Student)]: socially shunned, all because I didn't want to experience such cruelties at the hands of my classmates. Everything really came to a head at the end of my freshman year of high school. It was the last day of school, and I was super excited for summer vacation. I noticed there was a lot of giggling and looks made in my direction during English class. I tried not to think about it because I thought I was being made fun of. In one of my last classes of the day, Latin, I overheard two of my classmates commenting on how epic it was that some student got away with what they considered to be a funny prank. They were passing a phone around and laughing. It took me just a minute of eavesdropping to realize that that this, quote, unquote, funny prank was a literal hate crime. The student they were talking about had had a swastika drawn on his forehead as well as a Hitler style mustache drawn on his upper lip, all while proudly parading around the school in the Yamaka. As soon as I realized what happened, I began having a panic attack. Not only was I being blatantly made fun of in front of my face, but the faculty also failed me. None of the teachers realized what happened until the school day was over. My dad began pressing the school to take action as soon as he had heard what happened. But unfortunately for us, that student the student that committed the hate crime was transferring to a different school for the next school year, so we were told nothing could be done. This prompted me to research religious bigotry within my high school, and I discovered that our bullying policies had nothing in them regarding religious bigotry. I presented to my school board, and I was able to get the the policy changed. But in doing my research, I also discovered it wasn't required for the school to provide Holocaust education. I worked with some of the English teachers at my school to begin implementing Holocaust education. I truly believe the hate stems from a place of ignorance. People do not realize how truly tragic and horrific the Holocaust was. It's easy to make fun of something that you have no concept of. Implementing Holocaust education statewide is extremely important to me. I would love nothing more than to know that I can make a difference for Jewish children and teens growing up in Vermont. No child deserves to be afraid to go to school because of any aspect of their identity. We live in a time where antisemitism is becoming more and more rampant, and this is more important now than ever. And I would just like to add that after hearing the testimonies of both Lex and Alex, I I'm only solidified in my beliefs because the things they've experienced are truly horrific, and I see myself in them as these Jewish teens who are who are essentially not feeling safe in their school place. It's it's a horrible, horrible feeling, and I you guys are really strong for testifying, I'm sorry you've had to go through that.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: What are you experiencing in what are you experiencing in call, believe? Feeling

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: you said

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: you're doing it less or carrying it with more or what?

[Vera Windham (Student)]: Well, I go to school in Rhode Island in Providence. So I'm in a city. There's a lot it's a lot more diverse than Vermont. I mean, it's still New England. It's still not extremely diverse, but I would say I have not experienced much antisemitism in college. But I feel like the education system in college is, like, completely different than it is in high school because, like, you're building your own curriculum. And I I'm a baking and pastry major, so, like, I'm not doing a ton of, like, academic like, I mean, I do have classroom classes, but it's geared towards, like, culinary. So it's nothing, like, where politics are being discussed.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: Thank

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: you all, Sofia, for your break events. Yeah. Those are some really horrific stories as well.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Yeah, thank you for taking the time to join us.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: Okay,

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: well, stay stay there. Stay with us. So it's now we are on 5th Avenue.

[Beth Lieberman (Executive Director, Jewish Communities of Vermont)]: Just like to say, really encouraged by the youth who have stood up today to share your incredibly difficult stories and how important that is, you know, with you. Chair Bongartz and members of the Senate Committee on Education, thank you for having me here today. My name is Beth Lieberman. I am a Vermonter and I am a Jew. I've spent my professional life as an educator in the last decade as a Jewish educator here in Vermont, working with Jewish youth and families, since he is nine years old, serving as the education director of a synagogue, and now as the executive director of Jewish Communities of Vermont. JCBT's mission is to ensure that Jewish life in Vermont is vibrant, inclusive, and joyful for everyone. In a diverse Jewish community, it also must be safe. In a rural state like ours, that work requires attention. Our Jewish communities are spread across small towns and cities, and we work hard to keep people connected to Jewish resources, to one another, and to a shared sense of belonging. For example, on April 19, we will host a summit in person for the first time since 2019 for Jewish Vermonters, bringing together people from every corner of the state. We create programming for children, families, teens, and adults, and we support congregations and community leaders. Jewish life in Vermont stretches back nearly two centuries, and we are committed not only to sustaining it, but to helping it thrive. The past several years have been the challenge here. The increase in antisemitism, locally and globally, has shaken our commitments. Synagogues across Vermont continue having to raise extra funds for security. Congregants undergo security treatment. Doors are locked. Police or guards stand outside during weekly services and holidays, and families think twice before attending public Jewish events. And the deepest impact is on our children. You've heard these powerful testimonies from students about their horrific experiences in Vermont schools, illustrating both blatant antisemitism and something equally troubling, the failure to recognize in need. A classroom presentation praising Hitler as successful, swastikas dismissed or mischaracterized, Jewish students being told that what they experienced wasn't angry, was not antisemitism. Those are shocking examples, but they are not the story. What we are hearing from families across Vermont is that antisemitism in schools exists on a spectrum. In some schools, there is a culture of swift, supportive response. In others, responses are passive, uncertain, or minimized, and that inconsistency matters. But response is only one aspect, and it is only effective when antisemitism is blatant and recognized. But far too much of what Jewish students experience goes unnoticed by adults. Students as young as third grade are taunting their Jewish peers. They're insidious about it, doing it out of earshot and out of view of staff. We've heard how they jingle coins near a Jewish child, from melodies, Jewish melodies in a mocking tone. They repeat stereotypes and use slurs and whistlers. I had mom tell me that her child was told to go run and hide like Anne Frank, not because they were reading about Anne Frank, but because there was a reference and folks found another character that was learning about Anne Frank. The children schedule group work so someone is left out. They know how to avoid detection. A swastika in a math textbook or carved into a desk is hearth by and invisible, But the persistent undercurrent of hazing and humiliation, that unravels a child slowly. Many students minimize what is happening when they tell their parents, if they share it at all. We're also hearing that Jewish students are frightened in classrooms where faculty make their own political views widely known, particularly around topics connected to Jewish identity. Some Jewish students do not feel safe expressing who they are. They don't feel safe asking questions, and they don't feel safe coming forward when something happens. Many Jewish students feel they must defend their heritage and class discussions. They must defend their heritage and class discussions. In some cases, they are pressed to respond to geopolitical issues they know little about simply because they are Jewish. That's not education, it's isolation. Schools also unintentionally send messages of exclusion. Decorations and celebrations often violate holidays that do not include such Jewish students, which you've heard about. Important school events are scheduled on Jewish holy days year after year. Although encouragingly, there are districts that have made changes in that realm, but there are also questions as to why are we having this day off, and there's no context for what these holidays are. These decisions may not be malicious, but they communicate whose traditions are visible and whose are invisible. Students need education that helps them understand the history of how antisemitism develops, how to recognize it, and how painful it is for Jewish students. They need to understand, sorry, how painful it is for Jewish students and why. They need to understand that Nazi symbols represent the horrific story of of Jen Barron, and they need the tools to distinguish between policy debate and targeting fears. They need context as well, understanding the rich Jewish culture that existed prior to the controversy. Teachers need stronger preparation and clearer guidance. They need training that helps them recognize antisemitism, not only when it is blatant, but when it is subtle. They need to know how to interrupt harmful rhetoric immediately. They need administrative backing that makes clear antisemitism must be named directly and addressed consistently. But this work should not be limited to prevented harm. It should also expand opportunity. Not be limited to prevented harm, I'm sorry. It should also expand opportunity. Exposure to other cultures through the arts, through collaboration with community organizations, through meaningful world religion studies, through engaging Holocaust education, like the excellent hand prank exhibit and program touring the state for the second year, these experiences build understanding. When students encounter Jewish history, culture, and lived experience in accessible, accurate, and thoughtful ways, ignorance loses its power. We can go further by actively teaching compassion as a skill, Recognizing the humanity in others, standing up for those who are suffering, leading with curiosity instead of assumption, these are capacities that can be taught, modeled, facilitated, and practiced. Vermont has made meaningful strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion, but in recent years, Jewish students have felt those efforts don't include them. It pains me to say it, but in these times, Jewish students must be considered a marginalized group and receive as opposed to rations. No child should have to defend their identity in the classroom. No student should feel unsafe approaching a teacher. No family should discover by accident that their child is carrying this burden alone. I am here before you as a Vermonter who loved this state and as a Jewish leader who believes deeply in its values. Jewish life here is resilient and strong. We will continue to gather and celebrate, but we need our schools to be places where Jewish children are fully seen, protected, and supported. Legislation would help to address preparation and prevention. It would be an important step toward ensuring that what these students experience and what too many others quietly endure is not repeated. I hope this committee not only considers legislation, but how it would be implemented thoughtfully, effectively, and consistently across the state. How do we equip our educators with the training they need? How do we establish clear protocols? How do we engage parents as partners? How do we ensure that compassion, historical understanding, and courage are built into our school culture? Vermont has the opportunity to lead here, not in reaction to crisis, but in commitment to our values. It's notable to be having this conversation, I need to say, in a week where Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Ash Wednesday, and the start of the Jewish month of joy, Adar, all converged. What an incredible opportunity this could be for conversations schools. Thank you so much for your time, your leadership, and your dedication to the safety and dignity of everyone else.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: Thank you for reading the broadcast. Questions.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: When you referenced legislation, were thinking specifically about education with the Holocaust. Also make reference also just much better than teacher's strength. And I and I picked up from two people. It's not just about having an influence of bonding. It's actually about how to help it not happen in the first place. Yes. That kind of thing was the most important.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: Social emotional learning. Yeah. Social. Yeah. Yeah.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: This one?

[Heidi Fishman (Board Member, Vermont Holocaust Memorial)]: Chair Bongartz, members of the committee, thank you for letting me speak today. For the record, my name is Heidi Fishman and I'm on the board of Vermont Holocaust Memorial. I'm the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. My mother spent eighteen months in concentration camps before she was liberated in 1945 at nine years old. Over the last thirty years, she has visited schools throughout New England and told her story to tens of thousands of students. When students learn about what happened during the Holocaust, their role for you shows. It broadens and it deepens, and the students usually leave with a desire to do good. At 90, my mother can no longer go to schools and help her store. Worldwide, there are very few survivors who are still able to do this. The era of caring firsthand from someone who was there is ending. I have taken over where my mother has left God. I'm on the board of Vermont Holocaust Memorial, and I'm also one of their second generation speakers. I've been telling my mother's story of Vermont and New England nationally and internationally since 2017. My youngest audiences have generally been in the fourth grade. The oldest have been in assisted living facilities. I have never spoken anywhere where I felt it was a waste of time. The lessons of the Holocaust are important and cover so many areas of learning. Through the lens of the Holocaust, teachers can focus on a multitude of subtopics, including, but not limited to, history, civics, geography, media literacy, propaganda and how to be a discerning reader, religion, sociology, political science, psychology, literature and poetry, writing, art and music, and most importantly in today's world, compassion and empathy. When I'm invited to schools, the students usually are engaged and they ask very thoughtful questions. Sometimes they are stunned, and their questions only come later. It always concerns me when they are stunned. Why is what I'm telling them a shock? Why don't they already know this history? Even well intentioned teachers sometimes haven't prepared them for what they're about to hear. Why? I believe this is because the teachers are not given adequate support from their districts. Holocaust education is covered in some schools and not in others. Often it is an elective in the eleventh or twelfth grade, and those students have only read about one page about it in ninth grade world history textbook. Teachers need to be trained in how to teach about the Holocaust, and they need to understand very clearly how the Holocaust and antisemitism are intertwined. The two cannot be separated. Antisemitism existed before the Holocaust, and it continues to exist today. It is the same Jew hatred with a modern twist. Teachers need to be given time to adequately and fully cover the topic. For a social studies teacher to try to cover the Holocaust in one week is absolutely impossible. Students need to be given time to absorb the enormity of the lessons. The Holocaust is not a one and done lesson. It needs multiple exposures over time, and reading the diary of Van Frank is simply not enough. It's only the beginning. Unfortunately, even though there has been a plethora of Holocaust resources made available for decades, many of our Vermont graduates don't even know basic facts.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Excuse me. Okay, the speaker. It's alright.

[Heidi Fishman (Board Member, Vermont Holocaust Memorial)]: In 2020, the claims conference conducted a multistate survey of millennials and Gen Zs, And they found that in Vermont, 42% were not named a single concentration camp or ghetto. 35% did not know that the Holocaust occurred during World War two. 65% did not know that 6,000,000 Jews were killed. Let me put basic facts here. Again, according to the claims conference, over half of Vermonters responding to surveys said they had been exposed to Nazi symbols, either in their communities or on social media, and that was in 2020. This has only increased since 10/07/2023, which was the day of the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Additionally, 15% believe that it is acceptable to hold neo Nazi views, and 10% did not believe the Holocaust had occurred. Even after a class has had a unit on the Holocaust, some students will use what they learned and turn it against their Jewish classmates. They're not learning to tie together the lessons of the Holocaust with antisemitism, and they don't always understand that there's no place for Hitler jokes or mock salutes or swastikas. Unfortunately, the teaching usually stops with the message never again. And I say it needs to go further. It needs to include not now, not here, not us. Right now, some students get very comprehensive coverage while others get not. We need top down requirements and support so teachers receive adequate training, time, and resources to fully teach the topic. Because Holocaust ed is not required, some teachers are left trying to deal with pushback from administrators. One teacher who has tried to create a robust unit on the Holocaust invited speakers from Vermont Holocaust Memorial to address the seventh and eighth graders. The principal said that the students would have to opt in to the opportunity by having their parents sign a permission slip. As a result, only about one third of the students attended. We all know permission slips get left in backpacks. What other history lessons are given this opt in requirement? Do students need to opt in to learn about the civil rights movement or the Vietnam War? When Vermont Holocaust Memorial suggested to the principal that this was unacceptable, he stood his ground, claiming that the students couldn't handle being in an assembly situation and that it was unreasonable to expect the students to have time for these lessons. Another school contacted Vermont Holocaust Memorial in the 2023 and they booked one of our speakers for the '4. In March, the teacher called. Questionings on our website stated that we supported Israel. The teacher asked if we intended to discuss Israel, and we assured them we could not. We tell our parents' story of survival from eighty years ago. We give history lessons. We do not discuss current events or politics during these presentations. A few days later, the teacher said that they had to reschedule the April date due to a conflict and canceled the speaker that had been booked for over seven months. They never rescheduled, even though we offered several alternate dates. This was blatant antisemitism. The teacher didn't want us because we supported Israel after the October seventh Hamas massacre of over 1,200 Jews. Vermont Holocaust Memorial hosts an annual educators' workshop. We wanna help teachers cover the Holocaust from many angles. Recent workshops, topics have included, it starts with words, analyzing propaganda and media literacy, teaching the Holocaust using the humanities, and complicity and responsibilities. We generally have what we call sold out workshops with over 50 educators attending. They want this information. This year, our workshop focuses on antisemitism, and unfortunately, we still have plenty of open suits. We should have a sold out. We should have sold out workshop this year. We don't. Vermont Holocaust Memorial has a speaker's hero of two gs and three gs survivors who've been with their parents' and grandparents' stories. And when we go to school and we say, This happened to my parents or my grandparents, so students realize the history is not so long ago and far away. It has relevance to people here in Vermont. We've helped bring the A History for Today exhibit from the University of South Carolina to five schools in our state. We provide some small grants to schools to help expand their ability to bring in speakers or take field trips, and we help teachers by providing access to many resources through organizations like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Anti Detravation League. However, we are a small nonprofit organization with an aging board. We're not sure how long we're going to be around. The state cannot depend on us to provide what is needed in schools. The state must do this. Vermont must stand behind their teaching of the Holocaust and support our teachers in doing so. Why is this important in Vermont? The Anti Defamation League's most recent audit shows antisemitic incidents at their highest level since the national tracking began in 1979. Harassment remains widespread, while vandalism and physical assaults have increased, even here in Vermont. For the first time, a majority of incidents are tied to rhetoric about Israel or Zionism, often appearing at protests or increasingly on college campuses. Jewish institutions continue to face threats, with the list of attacks on synagogues and Jewish and Israeli establishments growing. Only 11 towns in Vermont have a synagogue. That reflects the fact there are many, many communities where the Jewish population is so low that students may have never met a Jewish person. They have no exposure to Jewish culture, history, or family stories. Jews make up less than 1% of the population in Vermont. Some Jewish students may be the only children in their school. We are an invisible minority, but we have been disproportionately singled out and negatively impacted in many ways. As we've already heard, our holidays are discounted, our history has been distorted, and slurs against us are often seen as normal. For example, while it's unacceptable to refer to a black person with the n word, commonly hear phrases such as in reference to negotiating a price. Your students feel isolated and disenfranchised. If children are not taught about this complex subject in school, they end up getting their information from the internet, which is a fraud with misinformation. If they are not directed to reputable websites and sources, they're likely seeing distorted and inaccurate information. I recently read a piece by Darren Schwartz, who is the Chief Program Officer at the Jewish Federation of San Diego. Now San Diego's far away, but his words have relevance here. And this is a quote. Holocaust education is not solely a Jewish concern. It is a civic imperative, a moment when antisemitism is rising, historical knowledge is eroding, and misinformation spreads faster than truth. Teaching the lessons with the Holocaust has become one of the most powerful tools we have to strengthen critical thinking, moral courage, and democratic values. Decades of research demonstrate that high quality Holocaust education delivers benefits far beyond historical knowledge. Students

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: who

[Heidi Fishman (Board Member, Vermont Holocaust Memorial)]: receive Holocaust ed shows stronger pluralistic attitudes, braver openness to differing viewpoints, and a deeper willingness to stand up for others facing discrimination or bullying. They are more likely to challenge biased information, intervene in intolerant behavior, and engage in thoughtful civic discourse. Vermont is the only state in New England that does not require Holocaust death. According to the ADL, 30 states have a Holocaust requirement. 17 states have a commission or a task force to make recommendations on how to implement Holocaust education. There's overlap between these two groups, resulting in 41 states having some sort of legislative input. Vermont is among the nine states that have no requirement or oversight. The other states with us denied are Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, and North and South Dakota. I am not going to suggest a curriculum therein now. 41 states have taken on this task, and many of them have figured it out. There are very smart people at the AOE and the State Board of Education who are far more qualified than I am to lay out the specifics of which lessons or how many hours and what grades. My point is that someone needs to do this so that teachers have proper training and support, and our students graduate with a background that need thoughtful, civic minded, and engaged members of society. Thank you. Pat to answer your questions.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Thank you. Senator Williams. So I've seen you in here before.

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: I haven't been doing this for a long

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: I haven't gotten hurt for you. I'm involved and we haven't gone anywhere. And I got a question for the rabbi. Do you think that that this has I mean I mean, it's such a complex problem, but I'm a Christian. I think there's an open opposition to a lot of religions. You think that this has anything to do with an effort to get rid of religions?

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: I think I think Vermont thinks of itself as a very secular state and does its best to kinda push down religious expression in many different ways, and I think that's also true in schools, but what we actually see is that religion is part of our kids' lives. It's a part of the general culture, like I spoke about earlier in the December dilemma, and Christmas being infused in the schools. So, you know, religion is kind of pushed down. At the same time, you know, we should be educating our youth on religion. It's a huge part of life, not, you know, we Jews don't believe in proselytizing, you know, I should hope that the schools are not, will do productive education that doesn't involve proselytizing, but just general education. We have billions of people in the world celebrating major religions, and our students should know, should know basic history and basic understanding of their fellow classmates and when they get out into the world.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: Okay. So, know, I'm not, I don't apologize for my Christianity.

[Rabbi David Fainsilber]: Please don't.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: And I mean, we're connected. Absolutely. Well, it's through centuries. And I think that maybe, you you guys, thank you. I'm sorry for what you're going through. Right. So but I think that maybe, you know, fix we can pass a a law in state of Vermont, but we can also choose not to enforce it. And and I'm thinking that maybe the solution of the problem would be a little more dynamic as far as maybe getting into some of the religious schools. I can remember when I went to elementary school, Merry Christmas and Valentine's Day almost interchanging. Mhmm. Because that was but then we got Kwanzaa and and all the other you know? So it's kinda hard to keep up with, but I think that because you're here again, we haven't fixed it yet. They gotta look at a different way, you know, to to fix it.

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: Yeah. And it's but it's, you know, it's religion, but it's not religion. Right. It's a religion, it's an ethnicity. Jews are not targeted because of the fact that they're going to synagogue on a Saturday or they're having a Shabbat dinner on a Friday. They're targeted in schools because they happen to be Jewish. They think their family does nothing religious. Right. They don't have to be religious. During the Holocaust, my grandparents had ID cards that they had to carry around. And the question on the ID card at the bottom was, How many of your grandparents are Jewish? Nice to meet you. And their answer was four. So they were full Jews, which meant they got worse. Not who they are, how they act, what they believe, what they do, it's who you're born as. And that then you become a target. And that's what's happening here too.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: And I heard, I'm a family of immigrants, but grandparents on the other side came from Italy. My grandparents on the father's side came from Wales. But I also remember my there's a lot of animosity among different ethnicities in Europe. My grandfather Williams told me, never trust a Frenchman.

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: And I

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: always remembered that, but I never understood why.

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: And I

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: still haven't been able to figure it out. So so these have passed on from generation to generation.

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: That's the thing you can't start teaching people who stop at Boston Williams. That's the chair. I think I guess.

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Oh, well, I'm just I I

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Senator Williams.

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Of uplifting senator Williams' point, believe it or not. I'm really excited. We're gonna hear from the anti deprivation league because it struck me what you said about World War two and not understanding it was it coincided with the Holocaust or was highly related. That was also when my Hindu family had to leave the part of India that became Pakistan, right, and because it became a Muslim country. And I think if we don't understand that period of time in history when everyone's borders were redrawn and they were forced to to be part of a group that maybe they haven't necessarily forced to cross continents. That's scary also. It's important that we talk about holocaust education because that whole period of time involved a lot of ethnic and religious conflict. Sykes Picot agreement is just as important to understanding, and and no one knows about that anymore, the partition of India. These it is scary that we're generationally just losing an understanding of what happened a hundred years ago or seventy five years ago. And I think if we started there, we gained a lot. And the Anti Defamation League in my high school of 4,800 kids in Los Angeles was the only organization that was there for us. They took us on a retreat and taught us how to speak about

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: all of

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: the isms, all of these challenges, understand how we identify, and really start from this foundation of how do you recognize everyone's complexity in humanity, and then you can build on that, and then you can see how Jews stood side by side with black and brown people during the civil rights movement, and that you can see the beauty of this country. And it has made me sad that recently I feel like the Anti Defamation League has become somewhat of a maligned organization. They were the only people there for inner city kids to learn about their identity and the diversity that we had and really learn how to talk about these things. Because I think the hardest thing is that we're silent about it because it's easier than talking about the complexity of all of it.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: There's better reason I'm going go on between the parent and child, just to make sure we have time for Samantha.

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: I think she heard her cue from the meeting. Thank

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: you. Welcome, So just identify yourself for the record.

[Samantha Joseph (Regional Director, ADL New England)]: Sure. So good afternoon, and thank you so much. My name is Samantha Joseph, and I serve as the Regional Director for ADL New England. And I want to say thank you so much for listening to the important testimony today. We appreciate your time, and I will be the last, you know, speaker on this topic today. I'll start by saying that I would not be here if my great grandparents had not escaped antisemitism in Eastern Europe, leaving behind family who later died in the Holocaust. They came to America because they saw it as the golden land, a place where they could live and practice their religion safely. And I am inspired, you know, every day to work to make sure that America lives up their ideals. In that spirit, I urge this committee to introduce legislation mandating comprehensive Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism education across Vermont's K-twelve schools. So my goals for my brief testimony will be to demonstrate that Vermont faces a serious and growing problem with antisemitism, to present you with compelling evidence that Holocaust and antisemitism education is a proven intervention that reduces antisemitic beliefs, and to highlight Vermont's educational gap as the only New England state without a mandate. Founded in 1913, ADL is the leading anti hate organization with a timeless mission to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. In 2023, on a per capita basis, Vermont had almost seven antisemitic incidents per 100,000 residents. To put that in context, that is the second highest rate in the whole country behind only New Jersey, right? So even though you are a small state with a small Jewish population, your community is experiencing rates of antisemitism that highest in the country. To give one example, in March 2025, an openly Jewish teacher found a swastika carved into their computer in their classroom, And that was a year after being sent an email to their school account, you know, with what's almost painful for me to say out loud, the email said dirty Jew, go kill yourself. Right? So that's happening in your classrooms. The testimony that you heard today, you know, the very compelling testimony from students demonstrated the pervasiveness of the problem in their classrooms, hallways and campuses. And we know that incidents are going underreported. Many children don't feel empowered to report their experiences. So the picture that we're painting is much is likely much worse. Yet we're not powerless against these incidents. So just to share a little data about how Holocaust education can really help. ADL commissioned a comprehensive study of 1,500 college students to examine the long term impact of Holocaust education. In terms of knowledge and understanding, seventy eight percent of students with Holocaust education reported knowing a lot or moderate amount about the Holocaust compared to fifty eight percent who received no education. Regarding critical skills and attitudes, students with Holocaust education are 28% more likely to challenge incorrect or biased information. They're 12% more likely to challenge intolerant behavior in others, and are 20% more likely to stand up to negative stereotyping. You know, so this education is helping, you know, as you heard, you know, from other testimony, really create better critical thinkers and better citizens for your state and for the country. When presented with a bullying scenario, students with Holocaust education were less likely to stand back and do nothing. Students exposed to Holocaust survivor testimony were significantly more likely to understand the connection between the Holocaust and modern day events. Forty eight percent compared to 30% who have never met a Holocaust survivor. They were also more likely to understand the importance of speaking up when others are being targeted. Perhaps more critically for this committee's consideration, we've also documented a direct relationship between deficiencies in Holocaust education and So antisemitic in 2023, we studied antisemitic attitudes in America and found that respondents who correctly answered that 6,000,000 Jews were killed in the Holocaust believed the fewest anti Jewish tropes, right? So people who understood the impact of the Holocaust were the least likely to hold anti Semitic beliefs. Also respondents whose schools taught specifically about the Holocaust endorsed the fewest antisemitic statements. So they were less likely to endorse an antisemitic statement when they had Holocaust education. This data confirms what educators and researchers have long understood, that quality Holocaust education is not just history, it is a proven intervention against anti Semitism and hate today. As you heard, this is not controversial. More than 90% of Americans believe that high school students should learn about the Holocaust, and 87% agree that high school students should learn about antisemitism throughout history and in the present. This is something that Vermonters want for their children. As you heard, Vermont stands alone as the only state in New England without a Holocaust education mandate, and your students deserve the same educational foundation that their peers are getting in other New England states. As we know, antisemitism is rising to historic levels, and this education can build critical thinking, empathy, and civic engagement. And in converse, when there is no education, it leads to higher antisemitic beliefs. At a time when Holocaust survivors, you know, increasingly are no longer able to share their testimony directly, it is our collective memory of the Holocaust, you know, that and the education that comes along with that, that is so important. I want to thank the brave students who testified today, as well as our partners at Shalom Alliance, Jewish Communities of Vermont, and the Vermont Holocaust Memorial, and to my colleagues within ADL, Becca Levitt and Melissa Augenbaum for their hard work on this issue for many years. And I just urge the committee to introduce legislation requiring comprehensive Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism education in Vermont schools. Your students deserve the tools to understand history, recognize hate, and build a more just and inclusive society. And thank you, and I welcome any questions, and ADL stands by ready to support any efforts in this area.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So I'll start just by not really a question, but drove home a point that others made maybe a little less directly, that understanding the Holocaust and

[Senator Terry Williams (Clerk)]: Okay.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Antisemitism and the damage antisemitism does actually then helps permeate hate in general. Or or doesn't actually help create hate, shows the opposite. Yeah.

[Samantha Joseph (Regional Director, ADL New England)]: It it decreases antisemitic beliefs in individuals. Yes.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So that I think that's a really important point, and everybody else will be implying it, but you've you've said it for a directly so I'm trying to get.

[Samantha Joseph (Regional Director, ADL New England)]: Thank you. Yeah, that's exactly what our studies show. And we really try to be to have really like strong data integrity when we do these studies. We're speaking to thousands of people about, you know, who hold antisemitic attitudes and trying to learn what interventions are most effective in changing their beliefs.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: And that's, you know, I can't remember the saying exactly, if you don't pay attention to history, you're bound to repeat it.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: Yes.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: And typically it's a problem, it's history.

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: Yes, exactly. So,

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: all things work. My next topic is going to be moving on. But on transition. But I really want to just thank you all for coming. Thank you. And I thought of this as a this day is more than I was expecting. I I thought it was I don't know. Just kind of a little primer for us about this understand what's included this day is more impactful than I was playing. So, I think that's a very statement for everybody and so thank you all very much and I'm taking speaking for myself, thanking

[Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale]: I know we've been talking about curriculum and training and learning history. I think, Lex's point, you file a civil rights complaint. For many students in our schools, filing a civil rights complaint isn't a tool they can use anymore. And that I've been wanting us to have a hearing on that because that is a huge that is a huge issue. Even if students could finally get relief by taking that incredible step, that's becoming less and less of a of a reality as an administration. Yes.

[Unidentified Senator (possibly David Weeks, Vice Chair)]: What was the result of that?

[Lex Lehten (Student)]: It's basically prompted the administration of my schools to, like, take a further look at it and punish the students. Still, it's if I remember correctly, minimal punishment is probably a suspension for a couple of days, maybe even not a suspension for a couple of days. Because Right. Nowhere needed a proper punishment. And it's not even the best punishment. It's like there needs to be education so that it just felt as as people are only doing it because they're afraid of the punishment and they're still thinking about it, then it doesn't provide any help for anyone.

[Senator Seth Bongartz (Chair)]: So I just wanna say one more thing. The thoughtfulness underlying comments we go off line? I'll go up for five minutes, take a break before transition.

[Alex Young Springer (Student)]: Thank you. Two minutes.

[Maggie Lunz (Shalom Alliance)]: Thank you.