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Josephs to attend 2 Holocaust commemoration events, Sunday in Phila., and Tuesday in Harrisburg

HARRISBURG, April 13 -- To honor the survivors as well as those lost in the Holocaust, state Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., will participate in ceremonies in Philadelphia and Harrisburg.

The first ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 15, at Rodeph Shalom Synagogue, 615 N. Broad St., Philadelphia.

The second event, the annual Holocaust Civic Commemoration, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 17, in the Governor's Reception Room in the state Capitol. Josephs will present her resolution marking the events at each commemoration.

"We must recognize that bigotry provides breeding ground for hate to flourish," Josephs said. "We shall strive always to overcome prejudice and inhumanity throughout the Commonwealth through education, vigilance and resistance."

Last month, the House unanimously adopted her resolution (H.R. 138) designating April 15 to April 21 as "Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust" in the Commonwealth.

From 1933 to 1945, 6 million Jews were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust as part of a systematic program of genocide, and millions of other people perished as victims of Nazism.

Josephs said Pennsylvanians should always remember the atrocities committed by the Nazis so that such horrors are never repeated, and pointed out the need to strive to overcome prejudice and inhumanity through education, vigilance and resistance.

"I offer this resolution in the hope that we will educate our children about the evils of prejudice and bigotry, and that someday discrimination and persecution will play no part in human endeavors," Josephs said. "As the generation of Holocaust survivors and liberators dwindles, it's even more important that we continue educating each generation about the atrocities suffered so that history is not repeated.

"I hope every Pennsylvanian takes a minute out of his or her day next week to remember those who were impacted by the Holocaust and how important it is to overcome prejudice and hate."