NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – City Hall will be among six buildings illuminated in yellow on Saturday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Mayor Eric Adams said Friday.
The borough halls in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island will also be lit yellow, as will the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building.
The annual day of remembrance, first designated by the U.N. General Assembly in 2005, commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, including 6 million Jewish people systematically murdered by the Nazis in the 1930s and '40s.
The day falls on the anniversary of the Jan. 27, 1945, liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by the Red Army.
"As mayor of the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel, today, I am haunted by the thought of how much larger our incredible Jewish family would be if it weren’t for the atrocities of the Holocaust,” Adams said in a statement, noting this year's commemoration comes after Hamas' terror attack on Israel in October killed about 1,200 people and led to another 240 people taken as hostages.
"Oct. 7, 2023, was a reminder that hate is not a part of a distant past we remember but an ugly reality we must confront," the mayor said. "Our Jewish brothers and sisters should take comfort in knowing New York City will ‘Never Forget’ and will always be a haven for the Jewish people. May this light be a small symbol of our solidarity and send beams of hope for the future throughout our city."
Ronald S. Lauder, president of World Jewish Congress, said in a statement: "Through the illumination of City Hall in yellow as part of the World Jewish Congress’ #WeRemember campaign, the mayor has once again demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Holocaust education and to standing with the Jewish community during a time of rising antisemitism."
"This meaningful gesture is a beacon of hope and a powerful reminder of the lessons we must carry forward," Lauder said. "We are grateful to the leaders of the City of New York for their continued dedication to remembering the past and educating future generations, reinforcing our collective resolve to combat antisemitism and all forms of hatred."