Schakowsky Statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

“Today, we join together to remember the 6 million Jewish lives lost across Europe in the Holocaust. We stand in solidarity with Israel and the people of the world to honor International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

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. 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. Our community has not forgotten and never will forget its history.

This day serves not only to remind us of the millions of innocent individuals murdered by the Nazi regime, but also to remind us of our promise of ‘never again’. The world must never stand by and be silent in the face of genocide and hatred.

Clearly, decades after the Holocaust, challenges still remain. Today, hate crimes in the United States are on the rise, synagogues and Jewish community centers have been targeted in the last few weeks, and the Alt-right movement has become dangerous new threat to the safety of our people.

We are equipped to overcome these threats, but it will require work and determination. As we remember today those taken from us, let us keep pushing forward. We will never be silent in the face of anti-Semitism, and we will stand with all people who are victims of discrimination.

I stand in solidarity with all those who strongly oppose anti-Semitism in Europe, the Middle East and anywhere in the world it occurs. The need to speak out against anti-Semitism in any form and on any continent is more crucial than ever. On this day and every day, we cannot stand by in the face of hatred or indifference.”