Tolerance a major theme at candle lighting at Holocaust center on Long Island
GLEN COVE, N.Y. -- In the midst of world struggles, there have been calls for peace and dialogue among those with differing viewpoints.
Tolerance introduced at home can be enforced in our schools, and teachers on Long Island say they are willing and ready to do more.
One of humanity's darkest periods, Kristallnacht, "The Night of Broken Glass," happened on Nov. 9, 1938.
At the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, Thursday night will be marked with solemn candle lighting, an event educators in our climate today say will be a call to action.
Surrounded by inhumane images of the anniversary of the Nazi Reich's infamous assault on Jewish communities, widely commemorated as the start of the Holocaust, New York State Regent Roger Tilles cautioned everyone that, "Silence is complicity."
"Right now, we need to be more specific. I think we need to address the issues of antisemitism and Islamophobia straight on," Tilles added.
Yet, empty chairs represented several educators. Those chosen to participate during a call for Long Island schools and colleges to become a bulwark against hate, opted not to attend.
"We have kids that have called their superintendents saying they are afraid to come to school," Tilles said.
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Tilles says at a time when hatred and violence are on the rise, the current state mandate to teach the Holocaust is non-specific and not working. He is urging all school districts detail curriculum to provide students with an understanding of how bigotry and intolerance led to the gas chambers of Nazi Germany.
"We cannot be the America that we want to be unless we start to educate ourselves and educate each other," civil rights attorney Frederick Brewington said.
College students on Long Island said they see a great need in younger years.
"I don't remember learning about the Holocaust very much," one said.
"I did learn how horrible it was, but not the details," another said.
"I've been to many of the Holocaust museums around, so that's also where I got my education," another said.
"Informative to reflect on the past and not repeat it," another said.
"It's just a sensitive topic. Not all teachers want to go into it," another added.
Dr. Lorna Lewis, the superintendent of Malverne Schools, said her district has a solid plan and others are on board with the regent's request.
"Everyone ought to feel comfortable when they walk through our doors. That's what schools are, being comfortable to be educated in an environment where I'm physically and emotionally safe," Lewis said.
Educators say our future peace depends on our children and how we help them confront and condemn hatred.
