Holocaust education in the United States often omits the stories of non-Jews who saved lives during the genocide, according to advocates pushing for a curriculum shift. This approach, they argue, fails to teach lessons of moral courage and individual responsibility to new generations.
From the Depths, founded by Jonny Daniels, champions the integration of these narratives into classrooms. The stories of the Righteous Among the Nations—non-Jews who risked their lives to protect Jews—demonstrate that conscience can become courage, Daniels said.
"Children deserve to learn not only about the evils of the Holocaust but also about the names and choices of those who refused to surrender to it," Daniels said. These accounts offer a serious way to discuss goodness.
Daniels produced "The Righteous Road Trip," a documentary that chronicles his visits with rescuers, aiming to bring their extraordinary choices into family, community and public discussions.
One example is Jozef Jarosz, who was a boy in Poland when his family sheltered Jews in the mountains. Jozef's father encountered Jews seeking help during a market day visit to a nearby town and brought two people home. Eventually, the Jarosz family was hiding 14 people beneath their home for nearly three years. Discovery would have meant death for both those in hiding and their protectors.
Jozef, only 12 at the time, bore the responsibility of keeping the secret. He could not share his family's actions with friends or seek recognition. Even an innocent remark could endanger everyone.
Daniels noted that Jozef's father had little contact with Jews before the war, indicating no pre-existing friendship obligated him to act. He chose to bring them home despite the immense personal risk.
Daniels argues that these stories teach a sense of responsibility extending beyond one's immediate circle. While teaching children to care for family and community is vital, he said, they must also learn to recognize when someone outside that circle needs help.
The rescuers Daniels described did not consider themselves heroes and did not ask for gifts or special attention. Their humility, he said, amplifies the responsibility to remember them and challenges observers to question how much suffering is overlooked simply because it belongs to someone else.
Other education advocates have also pointed to shortcomings in current Holocaust curricula. Rethinking Schools suggested that traditional Holocaust education's emphasis on historical facts has yielded disappointing results, with students retaining only a fraction of information long-term.
