Holocaust memorial at State House draws crowd
By Jacob Sugarman
The Jewish Advocate
Jewish leader calls for action to prevent future genocide
Marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, more than 470 people turned out at a State House ceremony on Jan. 27, pledging to remember the atrocities of World War II and to help eradicate genocide for the future.
The one-hour program, "Confronting the Holocaust: Lessons of Genocide Today," was held in conjunction with the first United Nations International Day of Remembrance for Holocaust Victims in New York. The local commemoration, sponsored by Jewish Community Relations Council, was a fitting reminder that genocide, despite humankind's continued pledges to end mass murder and racism, is still rampant in modern society.
"There's no one who can reflect on the history of good will in this world who cannot say that [the Holocaust] should not have happened," said Byron Rushing, a state representative who stepped in for House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi. "Somehow, creatively merging my sadness with my anger, I'll be able to hope, to figure out a way how no other genocide will happen again."
"We are here to remember and not let others forget," said Israel Arbeiter, president of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors.
"Everything must be done, for this must never happen again."
Among the afternoon's speakers, which included the Consul General of New England Meir Shlomo and Professor James Young of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, one of the most notable was David Gai, a Sudanese genocide survivor. One of the "Lost Boys" featured on Dateline NBC in recent months, Gai spoke on his experiences in his native Sudan and noted that the same genocidal acts that hope to be stamped out through memorial programs are still happening in the world today.
"As human beings, we are capable of anything. We can construct and we can destroy," said Gai. "As we speak, there is an ongoing genocide in Sudan. Ask people [to help], so we don't wait until it's too late."
Despite the program's somber mood, four protesters stood confidently outside the State House with their own message. Holding banners that read
"End the Occupation" and "Free Palestine," it was a reminder that genocide often takes a secondary role to contemporary political issues.
A final call to action was delivered by Nancy K. Kaufman, executive director of JCRC. Noting that although she is glad that the United Nations, after 60 years, has finally made an attempt at recognizing the Holocaust, she added: "I'm distressed that genocide is still happening while we remember one that is so close to our hearts. We are all tired of memorial services. Let us plan to act so that we will not need another memorial."
