B’nai Brith Canada welcomes Manitoba’s decision to require Holocaust education in grades 6, 9, and 11, calling it a vital step in the fight against antisemitism.
B’nai Brith Canada has welcomed the Manitoba government’s decision to make Holocaust education a mandatory part of the school curriculum for students in Grades 6, 9, and 11, starting in September 2025.
“B’nai Brith Canada commends Premier [Wab] Kinew for making good on his campaign promise to improve Holocaust education in Manitoba,” said Dr. Ruth Ashrafi, B’nai Brith Canada’s Regional Director for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, in a statement published on Monday. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the province on initiatives to combat hate.”
Manitoba becomes the sixth Canadian province to implement compulsory Holocaust education, joining Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick. The Northwest Territories also includes Holocaust education in its Grade 6 curriculum.
B’nai Brith noted that the province’s initiative builds on past collaborations. In 2020, it partly funded a student-led Holocaust documentary project directed by Social Studies teacher Kelly Hiebert, who was later hired by the Manitoba government to help develop its official Holocaust curriculum. The organization was also acknowledged during Yom HaShoah by Minister of Innovation and New Technology Mike Moroz, who highlighted the “Unto Every Person There Is a Name” remembrance program.
“Antisemitism is at a point of crisis in Canada,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “Our organization has long believed that teaching our youth about the Holocaust is an important means to combat hate, nurture Canadian values and protect the wellbeing of Jews in this country.”
The Manitoba government officially announced the policy on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Premier Kinew and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt made the announcement as part of a new partnership with the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, according to The Winnipeg Sun.
The Holocaust education component will be integrated into social studies courses and is intended to provide students with an understanding of historical facts and the broader significance of the Holocaust.
Premier Kinew emphasized the importance of remembering the past: “We are one Manitoba that cannot be divided by hatred,” he said. “Teaching young people about historical atrocities is essential to preventing them from being repeated.”B’nai Brith Canada has welcomed the Manitoba government’s decision to make Holocaust education a mandatory part of the school curriculum for students in Grades 6, 9, and 11, starting in September 2025.
“B’nai Brith Canada commends Premier [Wab] Kinew for making good on his campaign promise to improve Holocaust education in Manitoba,” said Dr. Ruth Ashrafi, B’nai Brith Canada’s Regional Director for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, in a statement published on Monday. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the province on initiatives to combat hate.”
Manitoba becomes the sixth Canadian province to implement compulsory Holocaust education, joining Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick. The Northwest Territories also includes Holocaust education in its Grade 6 curriculum.
B’nai Brith noted that the province’s initiative builds on past collaborations. In 2020, it partly funded a student-led Holocaust documentary project directed by Social Studies teacher Kelly Hiebert, who was later hired by the Manitoba government to help develop its official Holocaust curriculum. The organization was also acknowledged during Yom HaShoah by Minister of Innovation and New Technology Mike Moroz, who highlighted the “Unto Every Person There Is a Name” remembrance program.
“Antisemitism is at a point of crisis in Canada,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “Our organization has long believed that teaching our youth about the Holocaust is an important means to combat hate, nurture Canadian values and protect the wellbeing of Jews in this country.”
The Manitoba government officially announced the policy on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Premier Kinew and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt made the announcement as part of a new partnership with the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, according to The Winnipeg Sun.
The Holocaust education component will be integrated into social studies courses and is intended to provide students with an understanding of historical facts and the broader significance of the Holocaust.
Premier Kinew emphasized the importance of remembering the past: “We are one Manitoba that cannot be divided by hatred,” he said. “Teaching young people about historical atrocities is essential to preventing them from being repeated.”
Minister Schmidt said that education plays a key role in fostering unity and understanding. “Combatting hatred and fostering understanding are essential components of kindergarten to Grade 12 education,” she said.
The initiative is part of Manitoba’s broader commitment to promote diversity, inclusion, and human rights in schools.
