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Senate adopts resolution urging governor to proclaim Jan. 27 Holocaust Remembrance Day
Summary
The New York State Senate unanimously adopted Resolution 229 urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to proclaim Jan. 27, 2025, as Holocaust Remembrance Day; members used floor remarks to emphasize rising antisemitism and the need for public education and legislative action.
The New York State Senate on Jan. 27 adopted Resolution 229, memorializing Gov. Kathy Hochul to proclaim Jan. 27, 2025, as Holocaust Remembrance Day in New York State.
Senators from both parties addressed the chamber in support of the resolution, noting that Jan. 27 marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and warning about rising antisemitism and broader prejudice. Senator Liz Krueger sponsored the resolution; Senator Mayer spoke at length in support, and several other senators — including Anna Kaplan Stavisky, Casanari Fitzpatrick, Robert Weber, and Brad Hoylman Siegel — offered remarks emphasizing education, remembrance and bipartisan action.
Supporters cited a United Nations designation of the day and urged colleagues to speak out against antisemitism in their communities. Senator Mayer said the resolution is “not a resolution for only Jewish members. This is a resolution for all New Yorkers.” Senator Hoylman Siegel referenced survey data about Holocaust knowledge and warned about Holocaust denial and distortion. Other senators recounted survivors’ stories and recent incidents of antisemitic attacks in New York as reasons to reaffirm vigilance.
The resolution was opened for cosponsorship on the floor; the presiding officer announced its adoption during the session. The resolution does not itself create new legal requirements; it asks the governor to issue a proclamation and signals the Senate’s intent to remember and to encourage public education and condemnation of hate.
The Senate also noted a list of related legislative proposals on the floor and in committee that supporters said could address certain manifestations of antisemitism, including proposals on hate-crime sentencing, campus reporting and prevention programs, and funding for community security grants.
The chamber then opened the resolution for cosponsorship and moved on to other calendar business.
