Reconceptualizing Holocaust Education: Lessons from Critical Theory
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Abstract
This article explores how Holocaust education can be reimagined through the lens of Critical Theory—particularly the work of Theodor W. Adorno—in order to more effectively confront contemporary antisemitism. While Holocaust education is often invoked as a response to rising antisemitism, its actual impact in this regard remains contested. Drawing on Adorno’s reflections on antisemitism and education after Auschwitz, the article highlights both the emancipatory potential and the limitations of education. Central themes include the importance of early childhood education, the critique of ideology, and the tension between pedagogical aims and societal structures. The article proposes eleven impulses for rethinking Holocaust education, emphasizing, among other points, the need to turn toward the subject, the dangers of half-education (Halbbildung), and the importance of linking historical specificity with sociological insight. Rather than offering a prescriptive model, it outlines a conceptual framework that situates Holocaust education within a broader project of social critique and enlightenment. Ultimately, it argues that Holocaust education alone cannot prevent antisemitism, but can meaningfully contribute to resisting it.
Topics
Holocaust Education Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial Antisemitism: Education against Antisemitism Theory
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Volume/Issue
8(2)
Page Number / Article Number
1-16
DOI
Link
Link to article (paywalled), Reconceptualizing Holocaust Education: Lessons from Critical Theory
Bibliographic Information
Reconceptualizing Holocaust Education: Lessons from Critical Theory. 2026: 1-16. https://archive.jpr.org.uk/10.26613/jca/8.2.193
