January 23, 2025<\/p>\n
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n Lower Manhattan \u2014 Today, the New York City Council passed Resolution 0713-2025, co-prime sponsored by Council Members Eric Dinowitz and Keith Powers, recognizing January 27, 2025, as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps, and commemorating January 27 annually as Auschwitz Remembrance Day in New York City to honor the memories of the over one million Jews and tens of thousands of others who were brutally murdered there at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Chair of the New York City Council\u2019s Jewish Caucus, I have made it a key priority to elevate the very real challenges that Jewish New Yorkers are facing with the uptick of hate crimes against the Jewish community,\u201d said Council Member Eric Dinowitz<\/strong>. \u201cAs we approach this solemn day, we are reminded that with each day that goes by we are losing another voice of a Holocaust survivor who can remind us of the evil that can come when antisemitism is left unabated in our public sphere. With this resolution, all New Yorkers can know that this City Council will Never Forget. I wish to thank Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council Member Keith Powers and my colleagues in the Jewish Caucus for their partnership in this important work.\u201d<\/p>\n “Eighty years after the liberation of Auschwitz, the people who witnessed the horrors there are now sadly far too few,” said Council Member Keith Powers<\/strong>. “It is our responsibility to carry the history of what happened eighty years ago; to tell the stories of those who were brutally murdered and tortured at Auschwitz so that future generations never forget the appalling crimes that took place, and never allow anything like them to happen again. I am grateful to Jewish Caucus Chair Dinowitz for carrying this resolution, and for continuing the fight against anti-semitism and hatred so our Jewish community can live peacefully, without fear.”<\/p>\n “As a daughter of a holocaust survivor, there was a time when we had a multitude of voices who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust, speaking out against the tragic consequences of antisemitism and authoritarianism,\u201d said Council Member Julie Menin<\/strong>. \u201cThis resolution is of critical importance, as those living witnesses are now too few and far between as 80 years has passed since the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. I thank Jewish Caucus Chair Dinowitz for advancing this resolution as it falls to us who heard their stories and read their accounts to educate future generations about one of humanity\u2019s darkest chapters so that history does not repeat itself.”<\/p>\n \u201cEighty years after the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, it continues to be our obligation to honor the memory of over one million Jews and countless others who perished there. The horrific atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust must be our constant reminder that we should fight against antisemitism in all of its forms,\u201d said Council Member Inna Vernikov<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to protect our future, the Jewish people must never again be afraid to speak up for our lives in order to ensure that \u2018Never Again\u2019 remains a reality, not just a promise. Let us boldly reject all ugly forms of hatred and continue to educate future generations so that the horrors of the past are never repeated.\u201d<\/p>\n “I’m honored to represent many Holocaust survivors in District 33,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler<\/strong>. “We must never forget and I am proud to co-sponsor this resolution recognizing the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. It’s deeply important that we commemorate the one million Jewish lives lost there and we commit to fiercely fighting back against anti-Semitism and all forms of hate.”<\/p>\n While the history of the Jewish community often recalls days of hardship and persecution, it is important to remember days of relief and liberation as well. On January 27th, 1945, humanity throughout the world was given hope in the darkest of times. \u201cI feel that it is important to commemorate January 27th as both a remembrance of the renewed faith in humanity that the liberation brought, as well as to remember all those who did not make it out,\u201d said Council Member Lynn Schulman<\/strong>. The resolution passed today demonstrates that the history of Auschwitz lives on through generations of New Yorkers and is a reminder that we should embrace the future, but never forget the past.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would like to commend the City Council and the sponsors of this resolution, Council Member Eric Dinowitz and Council Member Keith Powers, for acknowledging the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz,\u201d said Jack Simony, Director General of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation<\/strong>. \u201cAt Auschwitz, 1.1 million innocents were murdered. Auschwitz didn’t fall from the sky; it is the culmination of hate and dehumanization. It is important that all leaders acknowledge the deep-rooted antisemitism and discrimination, which Council Member Julie Menin’s parents as survivors actually experienced. <\/p>\n \u201cAs the Director General of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, we are honored to have the City Council as partners in combating this hatred.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Jewish Community Relations Council of New York stands in strong support of the City Council Resolution to designate January 27, 2025 the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and commemorate January 27 as Auschwitz Remembrance Day in New York City. This pivotal moment in history serves as an urgent reminder that remembrance and resilience are integral to our continued fight against antisemitism and hatred in all its forms. By honoring the memories of the one million Jews and thousands of other people murdered at Auschwitz, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated. \u201cAs a grandson of Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans, I want to thank Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Chair of the Jewish Caucus, and NYC Council Member Keith Powers for introducing this important and timely Resolution,\u201d said Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.<\/strong><\/p>\n “On the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz\u2019s liberation, we reflect on the profound lessons of the Holocaust and honor the strength and resilience of its survivors,\u201d said Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, President of the Center for Jewish History<\/strong>. We are deeply grateful to New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams, the New York City Council, and the Jewish Caucus, led by Chair Eric Dinowitz, for their steadfast leadership in combating antisemitism. The opening of Anne Frank The Exhibition<\/em> and the launch of the Anne Frank in History and Memory<\/em> programming series at the Center for Jewish History reaffirms our commitment to educating future generations about this critical history. Together, we strengthen our resolve to confront hatred and preserve the truth of history for generations to come.”<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" January 23, 2025<\/p>\n FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n Lower Manhattan \u2014 Today, the New York City Council passed Resolution 0713-2025, co-prime sponsored by Council Members Eric Dinowitz and Keith Powers, recognizing January 27, 2025, as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps, and commemorating January 27 annually as Auschwitz Remembrance Day in New York City to honor the memories of the over one million Jews and tens of thousands of others who were brutally murdered there at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.<\/p>\n …<\/p>\n