Our Initiatives

In 1994, New York State mandated that all K-12 school districts teach Holocaust education to their students, however no standards or curriculum were ever established by which to implement this directive. As a result, a majority of school districts do not provide a satisfactory study of the Holocaust, if any, as evidenced by recent surveys which show a frightening ignorance among younger generations about the atrocities committed and lessons to be learned. In 2024, Voices for Truth and Humanity met with Governor Kathy Hochul in an effort to rectify the situation and begin to turn the tide. Three months later it was announced that with the approval of the governor, both the New York State Senate and Assembly had approved $500,000 for writing/establishing New York State’s first K-12 curriculum on the Holocaust, making New York the 18th (Chai) state in the U.S. to establish a Holocaust curriculum. None of this would have been possible without our dear friend New York State Regent Roger Tilles who was instrumental in moving this forward.
In 2026, Voices for Truth and Humanity will announce a 3-4 day Summit to convene all 18 states currently having an established Holocaust curriculum in their K-12 schools. The summit will be held either on Long Island or in New Jersey, with complementary hotel accommodations, breakfast, and lunch for each state’s representatives. The focus of the Summit is to enable all participants to work together, discuss their state’s curriculums and the strengths of each, and together establish a best practices document to be shared with the Governors of all 50 states, so those without Holocaust curriculums will have the benefit of a head start as they develop their own. Some possible takeaways include the framework of a K-12 curriculum, partnering organizations to provide resources and opportunities to hear from survivors, funding sources, testing metrics, and more.
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Since Voices for Truth and Humanity began Light Up Yellow on International Holocaust Remembrance Day 3 years ago, over 30 buildings, monuments, and landmarks in New York State have been bathed in yellow light every January 27th to bring attention to and memorialize the victims of the Holocaust. Locations such as Niagara Falls, the Empire State Building, the Freedom Tower, Madison Square Garden, New York State Capital Building, Nassau and Suffolk County Executive Office Buildings, Mario Cuomo Bridge, and others have participated. The campaign has since expanded to locations in 13 states across the U.S. with more being added each year. Many held press conferences and public events to coincide with the Light Up Yellow program. Our goal is to see all 50 states and the White House participating, and we are well on our way to bringing this to fruition, because the more people acknowledge and speak about the Holocaust, the better their awareness and understanding of the dangers of hate and propaganda.
Voices for Truth and Humanity is working to establish a Holocaust Remembrance Week or Month to be held at movie theaters where high school juniors and seniors will attend the showing of Schindler’s List, followed by questions and answers with a survivor or historian. The majority of those age 30 and under have never seen the movie. We are once again witnessing the impact of anti-Jewish propaganda, especially on university campuses, and its effect on young people who have never been taught to recognize when lies and manipulation are employed to play on their emotions to create a narrative of hate.
Voices for Truth and Humanity is seeking to undertake an ambitious effort to create a Virtual Reality experience of the Holocaust. In the beginning of this 20 minute VR, you are introduced to a family just before Kristallnacht where a connection is formed with the characters. You would then experience the betrayal and lack of humanity as their friends turn on them and they hide from the Nazis. It would continue as they are found and taken by cattle car to a concentration camp where the family would be separated, and end with children and adults crying as they see the ashes. While gunshots would be heard in the background and bodies of victims will be noticeable, the experience would not include scenes of actual killing.
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Voices for Truth and Humanity is working to establish a Holocaust Remembrance themed game night or day with all 4 major sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) where each team hosts a home game to commemorate the Holocaust. Approximately 25% of all professional sports teams have Jewish owners. Our hope is for them to take the lead in this effort and use the platform as a means to teach and remind attendees and viewers of the lessons of the Holocaust and the dangers of intolerance. Players may add their own thoughts and messages on their footwear and/or uniforms which will be auctioned off during or after the game. The funds would go to their home state’s Commission on Holocaust Education.