Ciolacu: Teaching of "The History of Jews. The Holocaust" in schools will contribute to strengthening resilient democracy

Author:

George Traicu

Published: 03/10/2023 12:48

Updated: 03/10/2023 12:49

Sursa foto: Captura FB

The teaching of the course "The History of Jews. The Holocaust" in schools will contribute to a better knowledge and understanding of the history, culture and traditions of the Romanian Jews and to preserving the Holocaust memory, thus strengthening a resilient democracy, in full accordance with human rights and fundamental freedoms, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu declared on Tuesday at the ceremony organized at the Victoria Palace of Government on the occasion of the national launch of this new mandatory high-school course.

"The Holocaust, this unprecedented attempt to exterminate the Jewish population in Europe, went beyond geographical borders and affected all segments of society. Romania was not spared from the tragic effects of the links between Nazism and Romanian fascism, witnessing both the collapse of values and the disintegration of institutions. That is precisely why we have the moral duty to support and promote education on Jewish history and the Holocaust," Ciolacu said at the event organized by the government in collaboration with the Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania - The Mosaic Cult.

He emphasized that the introduction, by Law No. 276, of the discipline "The History of Jews. The Holocaust" in the framework plans of high school and vocational education as part of the common curricular core beginning with the 2023 - 2024 school year, unequivocally reflects the cross-party and civic political will to promote education about the Holocaust, but also to strengthen the resilience of the youth and the society as a whole against the dangers represented by anti-Semitism, xenophobia, discrimination and hate speech.

Marcel Ciolacu also emphasized the importance of educating young people in the spirit of patriotism and of "not keeping the dark parts of history or those that generated them under wraps", adding that Romania's archives for research on the Holocaust are gradually opening, and the next steps that must be taken include speeding up the digitization of these resources.

"Also, we want the National Museum of the History of the Romanian Jewry and the Holocaust to open as soon as possible," the prime minister mentioned.

Marcel Ciolacu highlighted the particularly important role of art in educating the young generation and gave as an example the State Jewish Theater, the first professional Jewish theater in the world, which boasts an uninterrupted activity of 147 years, and which constantly enriched the Romanian cultural landscape.

The prime minister congratulated the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania for its tireless work aimed at restoring and promoting the architectural, cultural and human heritage of this community in Romania.

Also, he welcomed the presence at the event of Israel Tanner, president of the Association of Romanian Jews, Victims of the Holocaust.

Abonează-te pentru experiența stiripesurse.ro Premium!