Almost a quarter of young Americans believe the Holocaust was a myth, or was exaggerated, and more than 10 per cent believe Jews actually caused the genocide, according to a new survey.
Just under two-thirds of the 11,000 18-39-year-olds polled did not know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust and 12 per cent had never even heard of the genocide.
And around half could not name a single concentration camp or ghetto despite over 40,000 being built during the Second World War.
The study, commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, should be a wake-up call, says Gideon Taylor, the group’s president.
“The results are both shocking and saddening, and they underscore why we must act now while Holocaust survivors are still with us to voice their stories,” Mr Taylor said.
“We need to understand why we aren’t doing better in educating a younger generation about the Holocaust and the lessons of the past. This needs to serve as a wake-up call to us all, and as a road map of where government officials need to act.”
