History teaches us that democracy is fragile, and today we are reminded of that.
Yesterday’s mob attack and brazen displays of violence were an assault on democracy and fueled by hate. We witnessed a rioter wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt invade the halls of the U.S. Capitol while crowds outside brandished flags with Confederate and white supremacist symbols, including Swastikas, on them.
We heard a newly sworn-in Congresswoman quote Adolf Hitler, saying the German Nazi leader “was right on one thing.”
These reprehensible actions cannot be tolerated, and silence is not a choice that we have in this moment. At the Holocaust & Humanity Center, we encourage every single person to be an upstander – an individual who stands up for what is right. They use their character strengths to inspire action and become the best of humanity today. Anyone can be an upstander, and now is the time to be one.
Assembly and protest are constitutional rights. Lawlessness and violence are not.
HHC was founded by those who survived the Holocaust and rebuilt their lives in our community. The founders believed that eradicating antisemitism could only be achieved by working to eradicate hate in all of its forms.
We invite you today to learn from history. In our DIGITAL PROGRAM ARCHIVES, explore programs can challenge your beliefs, expand your knowledge of historic events, and inspire you to become an upstander in your own way. You’ll hear the stories of HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS WHO ENDURED THE HORRORS OF AUSCHWITZ – it’s not a punchline for a sweatshirt. You can learn about the intersections between the NUREMBERG LAWS IN NAZI GERMANY AND EUGENICS LAWS AND JIM CROW PRACTICES – our country must reconcile with its past. And you’ll learn from the YOUNG AMERICANS WHO ARE WORKING TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITY – and the world – a better place for the future.
