Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, HHREC Executive Director Millie Jasper, and New Rochelle residents and Holocaust survivors Mr. and Mrs. Jerry and Ellen Kaidanow
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin partnered with Assembly Members Chris Burdick, Dana Levenberg, Steve Otis, Gary Pretlow, Nader Sayegh, and MaryJane Shimsky to successfully secure $100,000 from New York State for the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC).
“Given the alarming incidents of anti-Semitism that are happening in New York and around the country, it’s imperative that we support human rights education,” said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. “One of the lessons of the Holocaust is that we must act decisively when we see the Jewish people being scapegoated or attacked. Jews were attacked on October 7, and have been continually under attack via harassment and intimidation. We must combat this rise in anti-Semitism by supporting a constructive path to peace through education by organizations such as the HHREC. I’m thrilled that we have been able to help fund the HHREC’s programs so that they can continue their great work of education and awareness to ensure that atrocities such as those of the Holocaust never happen again.”
HHREC is a nonprofit based in White Plains that serves schools, synagogues, colleges, churches and civic centers in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. The HHREC’s mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. HHREC works with teachers and students to help schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights violations be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, the HHREC has brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to more than 3,000 teachers, and through them to thousands of students.
HHREC provides educational opportunities for students and educators, as well as community events such as the annual Westchester County Yom HaShoah (Day of Remembrance) Commemoration at the Garden of Remembrance, and Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) commemoration with Iona University. HHREC also has a Holocaust survivor speakers bureau which reaches over 50,000 students each year.
Millie Jasper, Executive Director, Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center said, “We’re grateful to the Assembly delegation for their strong commitment to arrest the rising tide of antisemitism and other forms of hate by offering funds to the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center so that we can continue to develop and present appropriate programming to the student and adult community.”
Assemblymember Chris Burdick said, “I am thrilled that we were able to provide the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) with funds that will help them to further their mission of ending bigotry and prejudice. The lessons of the Holocaust have never been more important as we face persistent ignorance, antisemitism, and hatred. I’ve worked with HHREC and know the incredible work the organization does, not only in imparting lessons of the Holocaust but also in providing positive and uplifting teachings that stress the importance of treating all people with dignity and respect. HHREC is truly making a difference here in Westchester, particularly its focus on our youth, who will help to shape our future.”
Assemblywoman Levenberg said, “As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I am acutely aware of the necessity of education about this chapter in history. While my mother is still with us, every day we lose more people from the generation that lived through the Holocaust. Now more than ever, with living memory of the Holocaust receding and antisemitism and Holocaust denialism surging, we need institutions like the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center to help ensure that we remember and do not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Assemblyman Steve Otis said, “The Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center provides outstanding programs vital to the understanding of history, humanity, and human rights. I was very pleased we could support this work in the state budget.”
Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow said, “It is my hope that the funding granted to the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center will assist with the ongoing preservation of history as well as to provide new and valuable resources necessary to equip our society with the knowledge to combat hatred and prejudice and provide teachings to encourage empathy, tolerance and acceptance.”
“As a lifelong educator, it is imperative that we support initiatives to teach our youth about human rights abuses,” said State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh. “It is now more important than ever to address the growing polarization and tension that exists in our communities, nation, and world because of misinformation, misunderstanding, and unfortunately hate. We will continue to work diligently for respect of diversity and making knowledge available to all.”
Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky said “I am grateful that we were able to secure this funding for HHREC and its educational mission. The Holocaust survivors from their Speakers Bureau spent years recounting and recording their painful stories so that future generations will learn from the past and stand strong in defense of humankind. Nearly 80 years after the Nazi camps were liberated, the invaluable work of HHREC remains all too urgent and necessary in our world today.”
