A new report on Holocaust education in Israel's universities and colleges points out a lack of academics who focus on core issues of the Holocaust; systematic ignoring of the Holocaust as it affected the Jews of the Netherlands, France and Belgium; and a lack of researchers and lecturers who focus on the Holocaust in the Balkans and in North Africa.
The report, authored by a special committee of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, indicates a notable drop in the level and quality of Holocaust research in Israel; a lack of courses and studies in the field; and warns that twisted use is being made of Holocaust research.
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The committee based its findings on data from 19 academic institutions and found that in the past two years, 218 courses relevant to the committee's research were taught to BA, MA, and PhD students. However, only 53 of those courses dealt with the Holocaust directly, while the rest focused on historical context and issues of commemoration and representation. The report expresses concern that both researchers and students appear to prefer to focus on commemorating the Holocaust rather than delving into it and the surrounding historical events. The committee found this to be especially true among the young generation of researchers.
An entire chapter of the report is devoted to the decline in Israeli contributions to international academic discourse about the Holocaust. Committee members said that in their opinion, this was the result of a general decline in humanities and social science research at Israel's universities, as well as a lack of historical knowledge among young researchers, as well as an ignorance of European languages.
"For years, Israeli academia stood at the vanguard of Holocaust research, but in recent years there has been a visible decline in the contribution of Israeli researchers to international discourse in the field," the report states.
"The Holocaust, especially the events themselves, is at the center of international academic and research activity. Today, more than in the past, researchers from abroad are delving into the internal lives of the Jews, whereas Israeli academia has lost its seniority, even when it comes to the main area of researching the history of the Holocaust," the report warns.
The committee recommended, among other things, that universities in Israel add three to four research positions devoted to Holocaust studies.
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