Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center In White Plains Gets A Boost

WHITE PLAINS, NY — A Westchester-based group that has worked tirelessly to spread a message of understanding and diligence against abuses has earned a funding grant to help make sure their efforts reach as many as possible.

Assembly Members Amy Paulin, Chris Burdick, Dana Levenberg, Steve Otis, Gary Pretlow, Nader Sayegh, and MaryJane Shimsky worked together to secure $100,000 from NYS for the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC).

"Given the alarming incidents of anti-Semitism that are happening in New York and around the country, it’s imperative that we support human rights education," Paulin said. "One of the lessons of the Holocaust is that we must act decisively when we see the Jewish people being scapegoated or attacked. Jews were attacked on October 7, and have been continually under attack via harassment and intimidation. We must combat this rise in anti-Semitism by supporting a constructive path to peace through education by organizations such as the HHREC. I’m thrilled that we have been able to help fund the HHREC’s programs so that they can continue their great work of education and awareness to ensure that atrocities such as those of the Holocaust never happen again."

HHREC is a White Plains-based nonprofit that serves schools, synagogues, colleges, churches and civic centers in the Hudson Valley. The organization's mission is to reinforce the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. HHREC works with teachers and students to help schools fulfill the state mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights violations be included in curriculums. Over three decades, the nonprofit has brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to more than 3,000 teachers, and through them to thousands of students.

"We’re grateful to the Assembly delegation for their strong commitment to arrest the rising tide of antisemitism and other forms of hate by offering funds to the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center so that we can continue to develop and present appropriate programming to the student and adult community," the group's Executive Director Millie Jasper said.

HHREC provides educational opportunities for students and educators, as well as community events such as the annual Westchester County Yom HaShoah (Day of Remembrance) Commemoration at the Garden of Remembrance and the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) commemoration with Iona University. The center also has a Holocaust survivor speakers bureau which reaches over 50,000 students each year.

"I am thrilled that we were able to provide the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) with funds that will help them to further their mission of ending bigotry and prejudice," Burdick said. "The lessons of the Holocaust have never been more important as we face persistent ignorance, antisemitism, and hatred. I’ve worked with HHREC and know the incredible work the organization does, not only in imparting lessons of the Holocaust but also in providing positive and uplifting teachings that stress the importance of treating all people with dignity and respect. HHREC is truly making a difference here in Westchester, particularly its focus on our youth, who will help to shape our future."

Assemblywoman Levenberg said she feels a special connection to the organization.

"As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I am acutely aware of the necessity of education about this chapter in history," Levenberg said. "While my mother is still with us, every day we lose more people from the generation that lived through the Holocaust. Now more than ever, with living memory of the Holocaust receding and antisemitism and Holocaust denialism surging, we need institutions like the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center to help ensure that we remember and do not repeat the mistakes of the past."