E Street Band legend Steven Van Zandt’s launches new gig in Holocaust education

Steven Van Zandt, E Street Band guitarist and actor, launched a Holocaust education lesson plan through his TeachRock initiative. The four-day curriculum uses rock songs by KISS, Leonard Cohen, and Lawrence to teach about Jewish heritage and the Holocaust. It was piloted on Thursday at the Florida Holocaust Museum during Holocaust Education Week.

Steven Van Zandt, the E Street Band guitarist and actor, has launched a new Holocaust education lesson plan through his TeachRock initiative. The four-day curriculum, titled 'Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust: Exploring an Enduring Culture Through Music,' uses rock songs by KISS, Leonard Cohen, and Lawrence to teach about Jewish life in prewar Europe, the rise of antisemitism, and survivor testimony. It was piloted on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, timed to the state's Holocaust Education Week. Michael Igel, who chairs Florida's Holocaust education task force and contributed to the lesson plan, said the approach aims to educate in a way that 'feels like you're not being taught.' Van Zandt, who is not Jewish, expressed concern about what he called a 'pre-Holocaust vibe' on social media, where he sees lies spread repeatedly. He also criticized the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel, calling it 'obscene' to deny weapons for Israel's self-defense. The initiative comes amid broader controversy in the music industry over Israel, with some artists backing BDS and others opposing it. Van Zandt hopes the curriculum will be adopted beyond Florida and help change the national conversation about Jews and Israel.