Sunday, May 1 is Yom HaShoah, the International Day of Holocaust Remembrance when we all are asked to reflect on the atrocities that occurred during World War II, when more than 6 million Jews — and millions of other individuals — were put to death by the Nazi regime.
Although almost 70 years have passed since the Holocaust, the specter of this dark time in our history lives on. Historian John Conway summed up this period by writing, “The Nazis victimized some people for what they did, some for what they refused to do, some for what they were, and some for the fact that they were.”
I will join with other members of California State Assembly in honoring the survivors of the Holocaust on Monday, May 2. At that time the Assembly will conduct our annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, which has occurred every year since 2003 when it was first established by former Assembly member Rebecca Cohn.
Survivors from all over California are invited to sit with us in the Assembly chambers at the State Capitol for an afternoon of commemoration, and they will be interviewed by high school students on camera to record their oral histories. The students will hear stories of courage and heroism, gaining a new, personal perspective on an event they may have only read about in their Western Civilizations textbook.
Although an important day on the Jewish calendar, commemorating Yom HaShoah must not be limited to the Jewish community.
Our young people will soon reside in a world where no Holocaust survivors are able to impart a wisdom learned by someone who lived through some of the darkest times in history. We must not be apathetic and uninvolved in the face of suffering; each of us must be dedicated to
eradicating hatred in the world around us. We must prevent the evil that occurs when blind hatred of “the other” reigns.
The state of California has long recognized the important lessons that can be learned from the Holocaust. In 1985, California implemented a Model Curriculum for Human Rights and Genocide, a guide public schools should use in teaching their students about these topics. In 2002, Gov. Gray Davis signed AB 2003, establishing the California Taskforce on Holocaust, Genocide, Human Rights and Tolerance Education — and encouraging school districts to integrate first person accounts into their lessons based on the Model Curriculum. This landmark legislation also established the Center for Excellence on the Study of the Holocaust at CSU Chico.
The state Assembly’s Holocaust Memorial Ceremony on May 2 will culminate in the passage of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 4, which will declare May 1 through May 8, 2011, Holocaust Memorial Week in California. I am proud to be one of more than 60 co-authors on this resolution, which states, in part, “… we must always remind ourselves of the horrible events of the Holocaust and remain vigilant against hatred, persecution, and tyranny lest these atrocities be repeated.”
It is important for all Californians to reflect on this grim time in our world’s immediate past. In addition, we must address the social and economic challenges of our time. Our state faces a $25 billion deficit, and many families face the trials associated with foreclosure, unemployment, lack of health care and lack of resources. There are many inequities involved in these issues; it is essential that we rise to the challenge and work toward a better world, free of injustice and intolerance.
I hope that all Californians, from every walk of life, background and social status, will take a few moments to reflect.
Jerry Hill is a California Assemblyman representing the 19th district, which spans from South San Francisco to San Mateo to Half Moon Bay. He is not Jewish. His website (www.assembly.ca.gov/hill) includes information about the state’s Holocaust Memorial Project and interviews with area Holocaust survivors.