Rockland Lawmakers Mark Holocaust Remembrance Day

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland County Legislators designated April 27-28 as Holocaust Remembrance Day in Rockland, noting new statistics showing an increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents across the country.

The proclamation was issued Thursday by Rockland County Legislators Jay Hood Jr., Aney Paul, Alden H. Wolfe, Phil Soskin, Lon Hofstein, Vince Tyer, Doug Jobson, Michael Grant, Itamar Yeger, Toney Earl, Christopher Carey, Harriet Cornell, Laurie Santulli, Charles Falciglia, Aron Wieder, John McGowan, and James Foley.

“With heavy hearts today, Holocaust Remembrance Day, we mourn the millions of men, women and children murdered by the Nazis simply because they were Jewish,” Rockland County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr. said. “We also remember one of the lessons of the Holocaust: We will not and cannot tolerate hate.”

SEE: Antisemitic Hate Incidents At U.S. Record: What’s Happening In NY

Rockland County Legislator Aron Wieder, the grandson of four Holocaust survivors, said the statistics on anti-Semitic incidents cannot be ignored.

“The numbers in this report are both startling and frightening and these incidents are hateful and wrong,” Wieder said. “We must call these incidents out for what they are: hate crimes, and as we mourn the millions lost in the Holocaust, we must also clearly state that hate will not be tolerated. To do otherwise is to lay open a pathway to much, much worse.”

Wieder and Yeger presented the Legislature’s Proclamation at the Rockland County Yom HaShoah commemoration (Holocaust Remembrance Day) at the County Courthouse.

“Some people wonder where hate comes from and how it gains traction, but modern anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial is prevalent in the spread of disinformation across the internet and social media, two main ways of communicating in today’s world,” Yeger said. “We have a shared responsibility to continue to pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, and to make sure that their stories resonate with generations to come. We have vowed, ‘Never again.’ We must recommit ourselves to making sure that vow is never broken.”

The Yom HaShoah program was hosted by the Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance & Education, Justice Brandeis LAW Society, 9th Judicial District, and the Rockland County Bar Association.

Wolfe said, “The theme of this year’s Yom HaShoah commemoration in Rockland is, ‘Those who stood up and those who will stand up.’ Let each of us stand up whenever we see hate directed toward people simply because of their faith, skin color, ethnicity, or any other characteristic.”

Hofstein said, “It is shocking to see that some in this world have not learned the hard lessons of hate that were on such blatant display during the Holocaust. Yet, we see younger generations engaging in some of the same behaviors witnessed by history – anti-Semitic incidents, people joining neo-Nazi groups, and others who think they can do whatever hateful, harmful thing they want to someone because they don’t like their religion, language, background or what have you. We are here to say, stop. Your hate will not be tolerated.”