Schakowsky Recognizes International Holocaust Remembrance Day
EVANSTON – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) released the following statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day:
“Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than one million innocent people were brutally murdered. This is a day for us all to come together as an international community to remember the lives and memories of the nearly six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution. We also honor the strength and courage of the survivors and the heroism of those who stood up to hate, fascism, and oppression.
“This day is particularly meaningful to me as a Jewish American, and to my community. While sadly getting smaller every year, the 9th Congressional District of Illinois has one of the largest concentrations of Holocaust survivors in the country. 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.
"In recent years, extremely troubling signs of resurgent white nationalism and far-right extremism have emerged in the United States and abroad. Just last week, the Proud Boys, a violent terror group, were seen marching through the streets of Washington, D.C. spreading hate and division. Their presence in our nation’s capital serves as a chilling reminder of the heightened dangers of far-right radicalism and antisemitism.
"Equally concerning is the platforming of extremist figures on the global stage. The recent appearance of Elon Musk at a far-right rally in Germany highlights the dangerous normalization of radical ideology. Musk’s actions and his associations with groups who embrace these extremist views undermine the principles of democracy, tolerance, and inclusion that should guide us all. We cannot allow the voices of hate to be amplified and legitimized in the halls of power.
“With every passing day, it becomes increasingly important to remember the lessons of the Holocaust. Persecution can never be tolerated, whether based on religion, nationality, political opinion, or anything else. We must recommit to stopping antisemitism and hate-fueled violence wherever it occurs. Today and every day, let us honor the memories of those who were lost by telling their stories and ensuring that the horrific events of the Holocaust are never repeated.”
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