Schakowsky Statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, released the following statement in observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day:

"Today on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, we join together to remember the 6 million Jewish lives lost during one of the darkest moments in history. I hope all my constituents will take a moment to honor their memories and join me in an effort to "Never Forget'.

"Even decades after the Holocaust, challenges remain. Hate and extremism are on the rise at home and abroad. Dangerous conspiracy theories and misinformation continue to run rampant. Synagogues and Jewish community centers have been targeted, and Anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head. "Never Again' means we must combat hate and genocide wherever and whenever it exists.

"This day is particularly meaningful to me as a Jewish American, and to my district. The 9th Congressional district of Illinois has one of the largest concentrations of Holocaust survivors in the country, but their numbers are growing smaller and smaller every year. Skokie, a village in my district, is home to the Illinois Holocaust Museum, a 65,000 square foot facility dedicated to the preservation of history and the education of future generations. I encourage you and your family and friends to visit once it is safe to do so. Our community has not forgotten and never will forget its history.

"While we must honor those who were lost during the Holocaust by living honorable and productive lives, the most important thing we can do to honor their memories is to refuse to repeat the same mistakes that allowed for those atrocities to occur. The Jewish people are not uniquely threatened today. This is why I work to bring attention to the plight of the Rohingya people, or discrimination against people of color, Indigenous people, Muslims, Hindus, LGBTQ+ and many others whose human rights are threatened around the globe. It is why I join my Armenian brothers and sisters in calling on the United States to officially recognize the violence against their people at the end of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide.

"I stand in solidarity with all those who strongly oppose anti-Semitism in Europe, the Middle East, and anywhere in the world it occurs. I stand in solidarity with all people who are victims of discrimination. And I stand in solidarity with those who speak up in the face of hatred or indifference. Together we will "Never Forget' and together we will ensure "Never Again.'"

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