Rockland holds Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemoration
NEW CITY - The annual worldwide remembrance honoring the millions of Jews and other men, women, and children murdered during the Nazi Germany Holocaust took place in Rockland on April 17.
Rockland's commemoration was held at the Rockland County Courthouse in the building's jurors' room. The 2023 theme was "Defenders of Democracy." The guest speaker was Anne Minihan, the administrative judge for the 9th Judicial District.
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The sponsors note "the legal profession and the Judiciary are the last line of defense in support of the Constitution." Germany's Nazi Party-led government adopted laws in the 1930s singling out Jews and other people for persecution.
And antisemitic incidents and other bigoted acts have been on the rise in New York, Rockland, and across the nation. Most recently, swastikas were found drawn to walls and property at Clarkstown South High School.
"Today, more than ever, we recognize the need to strengthen our Democracy, emphasize pluralism and find unity with those whom we disagree," the sponsors contend. "As we each do our part to strengthen democracy, we know that our judges and lawyers are on the forefront of ensuring our legal protections and the future of our country."
Holocaust Remembrance Day, known as Yom HaShoah in Hebrew, is observed for the approximately six million Jews and five million other people murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II. The Nazis were radically right-wing, antisemitic, anticommunist, and anti-democratic.
The Nazis' final solution for Jews began after Adolf Hitler legally gained power as chancellor on Jan. 30, 1933. Under a state of emergency, Hitler and the Nazis took over the government, dissolving political parties and later adopting laws and policies to consolidate power.
The government adopted the Nuremberg Race Laws in 1935 and continued with Jews and others being forcibly taken to ghettos and then labor and extermination camps in Germany and nations occupied by Germany, such as Poland.
Rockland's Yom HaShoah Commemoration was sponsored by the Justice Brandeis Law Society 9th Judicial District and the Rockland Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education and Rockland Bar Association. The center is located on the Rockland Community College campus, after years of being attached to the Finkelstein Memorial Library in Spring Valley.
The commemoration was held virtually for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning to in-person.
For information on the ceremony, email Holocaustrcc@gmail.com or call 845-574-4099.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yom HaShoah Holocaust remembrance held at Rockland Courthouse
