Washington - U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today released the following statement on the commemoration of Yom HaShoah:
"Every year, as we approach the commemoration of Yom HaShoah, I am reminded anew of how much we still need to learn from the Holocaust. The horrific stories and memories of Holocaust survivors remain with us even as the survivors' numbers dwindle, stories that remind us of the horror of man's inhumanity to man.
"We must remain ever vigilant to acts of intolerance and injustice that can escalate to hatred and eventually turn into violence. This year, a year when anti-Semitism reared its ugly head right here in New Jersey, most egregiously in the firebombing of a Bergen County synagogue and attack on the rabbi and his family, we resolved once again to stand together against hate.
"In the aftermath of that unthinkable event, a community gathered around one gentle rabbi and his family - Christians, Muslims, Jews - all standing shoulder-to-shoulder, courageously speaking out for tolerance, civility, and for the sanctity of human life and religious freedom. This was humanity at its best and for this, New Jerseyans can be proud.
"This year, in the memory of the six million who perished during the Holocaust, as we commemorate the significance of Yom HaShoah and the importance of each and every life, let us stand as one nation indivisible, united by our common concerns rather than divided by our differences."
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