The Holocaust did not begin with death camps and gas chambers. We say "never again," but are we doing enough to combat the perilous rise in anti-Semitism, extremism, racism, nativism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, isolationism, the list goes on?
Our country denied entry to the St. Louis during WWII; the majority aboard the ship were returned to Europe, where 254 Jews died. A young girl named Anne Frank was refused a visa to the US; she perished in Nazi concentration camps. Is closing our borders, banning refugees, and suspending visas to those fleeing religious, ethnic and political persecution and violence the answer? I say no.
On #HolocaustRemembrance Day and all days, I honor those who perished, those who survived, those who fought for Jews and for all peoples. I recommit to continue the struggle for justice, for humanity, for the most vulnerable among us here in this nation and worldwide.