A Historic First in Germany: Jewish Studies Books Enter Public Schools Since the Nazi Era

For the first time since the end of World War II and the fall of Nazism, Germany’s Ministry of Education has announced that textbooks about Judaism will be introduced in the country’s schools. The news was reported today (Thursday) by Ynet.

The curriculum will include books about Judaism for both Jewish and non-Jewish students. The textbooks are part of a series called Da’at HaDorot, which combines material on Torah, ethics, and Jewish history. The first book, intended for students ages 10 to 16, will arrive in classrooms during the coming school year and will focus on Torah. Seven additional books are planned, covering the Tanakh, prayer, Jewish ethics, halacha, holidays, and Jewish history.

According to the report, the series was written in collaboration with the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the Ernst Klett publishing house. It should be noted that before the Nazis rose to power in the 1930s, organized Jewish education existed in Germany.