Today, we mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp Just 78 years ago, 6 million Jews were brutally murdered in a genocide motivated by bigotry, hatred and fear. Today, as we do all days, we honor those we lost and those who miraculously survived.
In recent years, we have seen study after study highlighting that many in our state, country and world, especially young people, are woefully misinformed or ignorant of the Holocaust. At the same time, acts of antisemitism — and other forms of hatred and bigotry — are rising at an alarming rate, fueled by conspiracy theories and the extraordinary power of social media. We are at a moment when strong Holocaust literacy is of paramount importance. The Jewish Caucus has secured funding for Holocaust education and worked to ensure that our history is accurately taught in school curricula. We look forward to continuing and furthering this work because our history is everyone’s history. We continue this work because this devastating chapter in history cannot be forgotten, and because only by bearing witness to the failures of the past can we begin to move forward.
Co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) released the following statement: “This Holocaust Remembrance Day, we must recommit to confront the surging forces of antisemitism. As we remember the 6 million Jews and 6 million others who were exterminated by the Nazis, we need to ensure that our young people know about the Holocaust — far too many don’t — and to push back hard against those who deny the Holocaust and promote hate and violence against Jews. Never again will we let this happen.”
“At a time of rising antisemitism, our obligation to recall the horrors of the Holocaust is more important than ever,” said Assembly member Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. “The Jewish Caucus has worked tirelessly in recent years to secure vital state resources for Holocaust education, and for institutions, like Holocaust Museum LA, that are helping to educate the next generation about the Shoah. The Jewish Caucus remains committed to strengthening Holocaust education in California, and we will continue to educate policymakers of all backgrounds about our shared responsibility.”
