Teaching about the Holocaust is a very sensitive and multi-layered topic.
But for today’s teachers, there is a new wrinkle in imparting the truth about the Holocaust, that being the rise of artificial intelligence and the real potential of misinformation and distortion.
Julie Klein, a Fenwick social studies teacher, is well aware of that, and even more so, after participating in the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous 2026 Advanced Seminar on Holocaust Education, held Jan. 17-18 in Newark, N.J.
“Teachers shy away from teaching this subject because, ‘Am I prepared to teach this type of material?’” Klein said. “There is such potential to cause emotional stress to our students.
“If we didn’t provide opportunities for teachers to really learn this content historically from experts in the field, it’s very frightening for a teacher to be entrusted with emotionally charged content.”
Now add AI, which Klein said Fenwick has spent considerable time addressing and showing how students can use effectively.
She pointed to the example of a photo of a concentration camp or ghetto during World War II.
“Do (students) know if it’s been AI-generated?” she said. “There is no sign on it that says it is AI. We have to help our students interrogate what they see and it’s a challenge. I don’t think we’re there yet.
“People know much less than they think they know.”
For example, she said that as many as 10% of Millennials and Generation Z members think Jews were responsible for the Holocaust. Or consider the diminishment of the Holocaust or even outright denial.
“How am I going to unpack this and do it in a safe space?” Klein said. “Especially for younger teachers, it’s overwhelming.”
Klein was one of 23 middle and high school teachers and Holocaust center staff from eight states to participate in the 2026 Advanced Seminar, which focused on future teaching of the Holocaust, including the impact of AI in Holocaust education, historical research of the Holocaust and the overall impact on antisemitism. Speakers included renowned Holocaust historian Paul Salmons and Prof. Noah Shenker of Colgate University.
Stanlee Stahl is the executive vice president of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. She said teachers have a responsibility to ensure that what they are teaching is factual … or not. Because if it’s not, that can lead Holocaust distortion.
“Teachers who have so much on their plate as it is, (they have to have) an understanding when you present information to your students, you have to make sure it is factual,” Stahl said.
One of the things Klein learned at the seminar is there is an overwhelming agreement that the Holocaust needs to be taught in schools.
“And yet, there seem to be more misconceptions than ever,” she said. “How can we get better, how can we make sure our students have the correct information? There were great conversations about troubleshooting and brainstorming solutions.
“We have to be meticulous in our approach, teaching and assessment. Can they name a concentration camp? Do they know where the Holocaust happened? A lot of times because of the imagery that populates social media, it’s completely inaccurate.”
That’s why Klein said it’s crucial for teachers who would teach about the Holocaust to immerse themselves in the resources they have available to themselves, like the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie. Another is the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, and so is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
“Just as we ask our students to do, we need to make sure our teachers are thinking critically,” she said. “There are challenges to teaching the Holocaust – teaching them to think critically, evaluate resources and think mindfully.”
In other words, know your subject matter, Stahl added.
“My experience is teachers do not teach what they do not know, and it can cause problems for the students,” she said. “Know the historiography. Take the time to understand the basics of what you’re teaching. It is complex.
“They don’t have to be scholars, but they have to be knowledgeable.”
