Both of my kids had field trips with their schools this week.

My daughter’s school went to the Nova Festival Exhibit, and my son’s class went to the Holocaust Museum.

I feel grateful and fortunate that they had these opportunities, that this type of programming exists in Toronto and that my children’s schools and teachers see the value in it.

But we’re Jewish. My children have been learning about the Holocaust from an early age as we talked about their ancestors, where they’re from, and how they came to Canada. They’ve read “What was the Holocaust”, “Who was Anne Frank”, “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Hana’s Suitcase”, amongst others.

We’ve been speaking openly about Oct 7 since it happened, and about the Jew hatred that’s exploding around the world, with age appropriate conversations with both of them.

While they will learn a lot from these experiences, there are people out there that need it much more than my kids do, and it got me thinking.

How many other high schools are visiting the Nova Exhibit?

How many other classes are going to the Holocaust Museum?

I volunteered on my son’s field trip, and got to be a part of the experience. He’s in a class with very few other Jewish kids, and it was interesting to watch how they experienced this education.

My son’s teacher is a rockstar, and the knowledge the class had going in on what the Holocaust was, blew my mind.

And then, during the video presentation, as they listened to a survivor tell her story of what she went through, about Kristallnacht, about being forced into trains, separated from her parents, about being forced into hard labour as a child, about her brother starving to death, and I watched their facial expressions - their jaws dropping, the looks on their faces - the shock they were experiencing, and empathy they were feeling was palpable.

Children of all races and religions and colours, learning about the darkest time in modern history, at a time when that history seems to be preparing to repeat itself.

Watching their reactions, listening to how they answered questions, hearing their understanding of what happened, and how awful it was, listening to them discussing antisemitism and hate. It gave me hope. Hope for our future.

But this is a small sample size. This is a classroom with a strong teacher, who teaches Holocaust education, who fights antisemitism within the school board, who is aware of what’s going on.

What are the other classes learning? And what happens to these kids next year, when they’re at a new school, with different teachers? Or when they start using TikTok more? Or - and I shudder at the thought of this - when they step onto a college or university campus?

The key to our civilization’s survival lies with future generations, and teaching them history, teaching them to think critically, to be able to see through the propaganda. Teaching them about the signs to look for. Teaching them to question the narrative. Teaching them to stay true to their values, and their morals.

It’s going to be a tough fight, but it’s the only chance we have.