WHEREAS, on April 28, 2022 the State of Israel and Jewish people around the world will commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
WHEREAS, we must never forget the horrific events of the Holocaust and must teach them to our children and never forget the six million Jews who were ethnically cleansed by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945; and
WHEREAS, antisemitism is an evil that threatens, not only those who subscribe to the Jewish faith, but all people no matter creed or background, it is a challenge to the core values that bind Americans together; and
WHEREAS, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities; and
WHEREAS, FBI statistics for 2020 have shown that Jews are the target of 58 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the U.S. despite constituting a mere two percent of the population. A recent American Jewish Committee survey on antisemitism in America found that one in four American Jews has been the target of antisemitism over the past 12 months, either verbal or physical attacks, in person, online or on social media. Four in ten American Jews, 39 percent, changed their behavior over the past year out of fear of antisemitism; and
WHEREAS, state officials and institutions can play a powerful role in promoting values of tolerance and pluralism and in protecting citizens from acts of hate and bigotry motivated by discriminatory animus, including antisemitism.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2022 as:
Holocaust Remembrance Day
in Alaska, and recommit ourselves to the promise that Never Again can such a tragedy occur by remembering the victims of the Holocaust and teaching our children about this tragedy.
Dated: April 28, 2022
