State superintendent delivers $7 million check to Holocaust center

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY) - Tom Horne, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, presented a $7 million check to the Arizona Jewish Historical Society.

In a press release, the check will aid "in the development of the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center."

The press release says Representatives Alma Hernandez (D-Tucson) and David Marshall (R-Snowflake) co-sponsored a legislation, which "authorized the $7 million to be passed through the department."

The press release says this is to reflect the role the Department of Education has to "ensure that schools comply with a separate law sponsored by Rep. Marshall requiring students to be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides for at least three class periods, rather than school days, on at least two separate occasions between grades 7 and 12."

"In the past year, we have seen the unbelievable and tragic targeting of the Jewish community with the horrific acts committed on innocent men, women and children by Hamas in Israel, the ignorant and misguided protests against Jews on college campuses and the endorsement of antisemitic literature in some Arizona classrooms. This cannot go unchallenged, and educating people is one of the most powerful tools to face this scourge. Developing the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center is a needed step toward bridging understanding between people of all ethnicities and belief systems and I am grateful to be a part of this important cause."

Tom Horne, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

In addition, the Arizona Jewish Historical Society stated, on their website, that the center "will raise awareness and educate the community so that we can help to address these critical issues that affect all groups of people that may be marginalized and made vulnerable to discrimination. When one group's freedom is curtailed, all people are susceptible to prejudice and injustice."