Mineola, NY—On January 25th, Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip spoke at the annual dome lighting for International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The dome of The Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola is illuminated with a yellow light to honor and remember all the horrific injustices that the victims of the Holocaust suffered through.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz from the Nazi regime. It is also a day to honor and remember the 11 million Jewish, Roma, homosexual, disabled, and all other people that were victims of the barbaric genocide during World War II. This solemn event serves as an annual way to honor the victims of the Holocaust and educate the public about the ghastly tragedy that occurred.
Alongside Legislator Pilip were several prominent figures in the Jewish community including the Director of Huntington Community & Economic Development, Angel Cepeda, Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, board member of the Voices for Truth & Humanity organization, Andrea Bolender, Publisher & Editor in Chief of The Jewish Post, Henry Levy, President of Voices for Truth & Humanity, Jack Britvan, and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Several other speakers gave remarks as the group reflected on the atrocities that were committed during the Holocaust in order to move forward knowing that a genocide must never happen again.
“Holocaust Remembrance Day is not a celebration. It is a time to remember. We remember the horror. We remember the darkness. We remember the evil. We mourn our losses. We cry for OUR people. We also remember the strength. We remember our faith. We remember the survivors. Holocaust Remembrance Day is all that and more,” Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip said. “For my husband's family, and for so many touched by this terrible time in our world history, we remember. We never forget. This dome is a symbol of all those we have lost. But it is also a symbol of the light we will share in educating about the holocaust.”
Shown in photo, left to right: Angel Cepeda, Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip, Andrea Bolender, Henry Levy and Jack Britvan.