New survey reveals: 48% of teenagers did not know when Hitler came to power

April 18, 2023   

In preparation for the 'Raising Memory' project, which encourages public figures and influencers to upload reels to social media with Holocaust survivors, in order to increase awareness of the issue among the younger generation - the 'Let' organization together with Meta conducted a survey that revealed the following data: Approximately 50% percent of Israeli youth have not met or have met infrequently a Holocaust survivor and heard his story in the past year. Approximately 53% of Israeli youth claim that it would be easier for them to learn about complex issues through social media. Approximately 95% of Israeli youth believe that it is important to hear the story of the Holocaust firsthand. Approximately 60% of Israeli youth believe that in the future the memory of the Holocaust will not be passed on to future generations. Approximately 48% of Israeli youth did not know in which year Hitler came to power. Only 39% of Israeli youth knew what the Nuremberg Trials were. 47% of Israeli youth did not know that Treblinka was an extermination camp. 44% of Israeli youth did not know the story of Janusz Korczak. Only 49% of Israeli youth know why Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked on the date it is marked. The 'Raising Memory' project, in collaboration with 'Let't' and Meta, is taking to social media and succeeding in connecting the sad and important stories of the last Holocaust survivors with youth, who today consume most of the content they consume from social media. Eran Weintraub, CEO of 'Let't': "The mission of 'And You Shall Tell Your Son' in the current era requires us to find creative ways to talk about the collective memory that is part of our identity. 'Raising Memory' allows us to make history accessible and familiar to youth on their platforms, through connection and identification with leading content creators. "The project is also an innovative way to raise awareness of a topic that is no longer present in the discourse and to create exposure among millions of Israelis in an innovative way." Ma'an Sarig, VP of Communications and Partnerships at Meta in Israel: "These are the last years in which we will be able to hear Holocaust survivors firsthand - but the survey we conducted shows how much more difficult it is to get the younger generation to connect with the testimonies and remember the events. The problem lies first and foremost in the medium; the way in which young people are told about the Holocaust is almost prehistoric in terms of the technologies available today. In an era in which social networks are a central means of disseminating knowledge, we have a duty to invent new forms of commemoration and adapt to popular platforms, with the understanding that technology will allow us to revive the testimonies of survivors in the reality of a disappearing generation. "The 'Raising Memory' project meets youth in their own arena, where they are willing to open their hearts and in a way that manages to capture their attention.".