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Assembly adopts Holocaust Remembrance Day resolution after extended floor debate on rising antisemitism
Summary
The Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution memorializing Jan. 27, 2025 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day after extended remarks from members who warned of rising antisemitism, urged education and enforcement, and cited recent incidents in New York.
The New York State Assembly adopted a resolution memorializing Jan. 27, 2025, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day after an extended floor debate in which members urged action against rising antisemitism and greater education about the Holocaust.
Sponsor Assemblymember Rosic opened the discussion by honoring Holocaust victims and survivors and warning that hatred often begins with words. "Protecting Jewish communities from antisemitism is not just about safeguarding one group," Rosic said, "it's about upholding our values." She cited a recent wave of antisemitic incidents in New York, including graffiti at a Brooklyn restaurant.
Assemblymember Eric "Ari" Brown, who asked colleagues to call him "Ari," tied current campus and street incidents to earlier patterns of escalating hate speech. "We have an opportunity not to remain silent," he said.
Assemblyman Eichenstein, who described himself as a grandson of survivors, emphasized that the Holocaust "didn't start with the gas chambers" and urged early intervention through education and prosecution of hate crimes. Several speakers, including Assemblymembers Glick, Weider and Levine, similarly framed the day as a call to action: expand education, strengthen hate-crime enforcement, and support survivors.
Members recounted family histories and local examples to underscore the urgency. Assemblymember Yeager said, "Never again is not yet," describing recent vandalism and protests he said normalized hateful rhetoric. Others warned about recruiting and social forces that allow extremism to grow.
The resolution was adopted by a voice vote; the Speaker announced that the resolution is adopted. The House then moved to the consent calendar for statutory and procedural business.
The debate produced repeated calls for legislative and educational responses to antisemitism on campuses and in communities. The resolution itself is ceremonial, memorializing the date and urging remembrance; speakers used the occasion to press for concrete measures, including stronger enforcement of hate-crime laws, improved educational curricula about the Holocaust, and increased support for survivors.
