Established by the Texas Legislature with Senate Bill 1828 in the 86th Legislative Session in 2019, Holocaust Remembrance Week serves to educate students about the Holocaust and inspire a sense of responsibility to recognize and uphold human value and prevent future atrocities. 

“Holocaust Remembrance Week is a solemn reminder of the intense oppression of the Jewish people,” Governor Greg Abbott said. “Cecilia and I pray for those whose lives were taken then, and for peace to end antisemitism today. By learning about the history of our world and educating students about the horrific acts of violence and terror inflicted on the Jewish people, we can prevent such wickedness from ever taking place again. May we all take the time to honor the millions of people who were victimized or lost their lives during the Holocaust. Today and every day, Texas stands with the Jewish community and the people of Israel.” 

During the week, all public schools teach age-appropriate lessons developed or approved by the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC), which works in conjunction with the Texas Historical Commission (THC). 

"Holocaust Remembrance Week is about more than teaching history; it is about confronting the dangers of intolerance, silence, and indifference,” THGAAC Chairman Ken Goldberg said. “For Texas schools and students, this week underscores how hatred takes hold and why standing up for others is essential—especially in a time of rising antisemitism. Remembering the Holocaust is a shared responsibility in our classrooms and communities." 

The mission of the THGAAC is to combat and confront hatred, prejudice, and indifference by educating all Texans about the Holocaust and other genocides in an effort to dismantle antisemitism and prevent such future atrocities. 

Holocaust Remembrance Week occurs annually the week of January 27, which is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. 

"As stewards of Texas history, the Texas Historical Commission recognizes the importance of preserving and sharing the lessons of the Holocaust with future generations,” THC Chairman John L. Nau III said. “Holocaust Remembrance Week gives us the opportunity to join the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission to provide the students of our Texas public schools with these important lessons of history.” 

For more information about Holocaust Remembrance Week, or for homeschool parents seeking to access approved curriculum, go to https://thgaac.texas.gov/learning/hrw. 

About the Texas Historical Commission  

The THC is the state's official historic preservation agency. It preserves, operates, and manages 42 state historic sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Texas Main Street Program, Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, and many more heritage tourism and historic preservation initiatives across the state. The THC's mission is to protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. For more information, visit thc.texas.gov.