The imminent passing of the last Holocaust survivors has created an urgent need for effective educational materials that can reach children before they encounter misinformation online. Eva Kor, an Auschwitz survivor who died in 2019, spent her final years advocating for earlier Holocaust education, arguing that waiting until middle school allows prejudices to form first. Her memoir for young readers, I Will Protect You: A True Story of Twins Who Survived Auschwitz, written with author Danica Davidson, has become a bestseller and is now being used in classrooms nationwide.
Kor believed elementary and middle school students are already encountering conspiracy theories, extremist propaganda, antisemitic memes, and Holocaust distortion online, making early education essential. Davidson, who collaborated with Kor on the book, explained in her Holocaust Remembrance Day article "Holocaust Education Should Start in Elementary School" at Aish that early exposure to Holocaust history teaches critical thinking, human behavior patterns, and the harm of us-versus-them mentality. The book aims to make history legible rather than simplified, showing children that these events happened to real children with dreams and families.
Davidson has continued this work with other survivors, recently completing a graphic novel with Eva Schloss titled What Lies Hidden. In her op-ed "Working with survivors to tell their stories, before it's too late" at the Jewish News Syndicate, Davidson noted that both Kor and Schloss understood how their book projects fit into the broader framework of Holocaust education. With antisemitic incidents surging in recent years and polls showing concerning gaps in young Americans' knowledge about the Holocaust, these materials serve as crucial entry points for historical understanding.
The educational approach focuses on meeting children at an age when imagination remains intact and moral formation is still developing. By presenting history through the lived experiences of children similar to themselves, these materials help young readers recognize patterns of dehumanization that might otherwise go unnoticed. Davidson's work with survivors demonstrates how personal narratives combined with historical context can create powerful educational tools that resonate with younger audiences.
As the last generation of Holocaust survivors disappears, their stories preserved in books like I Will Protect You become the primary means through which future generations will understand this historical period. The book has received recognition as a Notable Social Studies Title from the National Council for Social Studies and has won both Teacher Favorites and Children's Favorites awards from the Children's Book Council. These materials represent a critical investment in historical memory at a time when online radicalization has lowered barriers to hate and misinformation spreads rapidly.
The framework of early Holocaust education addresses not just historical facts but broader lessons about empathy, critical thinking, and human dignity. As Davidson noted in her writing, the abundant documentation of the Holocaust can open children's eyes to how history shapes the present and the power individuals have to affect change. With survivors like Kor and Schloss now gone, their collaborative works with authors like Davidson serve as their lasting educational legacy, ensuring their voices continue teaching future generations about the consequences of hatred and the importance of remembrance.
