International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Holocaust Education Month (2023)

WHEREAS: The Town of Swampscott will never forget the events of the Holocaust, and the 6 million Jewish lives lost in the most tragic genocide in modern history; and

WHEREAS: Anti-semitic incidents continue to increase in the United States, reaching an all-time high in 2021 with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism reported to the Anti-Defamation League. This represents the highest number of incidents on record since the ADL began tracking them in 1979 - an average of more than seven incidents per day and a 34 percent increase year over last year; and

WHEREAS: This year, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 23, 2023, we commemorate the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau Death Camp; and

WHEREAS: Honoring the victims and survivors begins with our renewed recognition of the value and dignity of each person, it demands from us the courage to protect the persecuted and speak out against bigotry and hatred; and

WHEREAS: On this anniversary we recommit ourselves to combating the global rise in anti-semitism and the evil that threatens not only those of Jewish faith but those of all faith and backgrounds; and

WHEREAS: Recent acts of hate in Swampscott serve as a painful reminder of our obligation to condemn and combat rising anti-semitism in all its forms, including the denial or trivialization of the Holocaust; and

WHEREAS: This anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made confronting this terrible chapter in human history and on our continuing efforts to end genocide; and

WHEREAS: The definition of anti-semitism reads as follows: "anti-semitism is a certain perception of Jews which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities"; and

NOW, THEREFORE: On behalf of the entire Select Board, we do hereby proclaim January 27, 2023, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the month of January as Holocaust Education Month in the Town of Swampscott, Massachusetts and encourage all faith based and non-profit organizations, residents, businesses, and public institutions to acknowledge, honor and value Jewish peoples' historic and current contributions locally and beyond, while also recognizing the ongoing and interconnected struggles of all Jewish communities locally and beyond.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the Town of Swampscott, Massachusetts, this 11th day of January 2023.

Neal Duffy - Select Board Chair
David Grishman - Select Board Vice Chair
MaryEllen Fletcher - Select Board Member
Catherine Phelan - Select Board Member
Peter Spellios - Select Board Member
Sean Fitzgerald - Town Administrator

Sign onto the Proclamation HERE.

View community signatories HERE.