Mayor Eduardo Martinez
City of Richmond
January 21, 2025
INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
January 27th, 2025
WHEREAS, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed annually on January 27th, the anniversary of the Soviet Red Army liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and death camp; and
WHEREAS, the Holocaust was the horrific state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of six million Jewish people by the Nazi regime and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945; and
WHEREAS, millions more, including Romani people, the LGBTQ+ community, disabled individuals, Polish and Soviet civilians, political dissidents, and other groups, were also brutally targeted by the Nazi regime; and
WHEREAS, it is crucial to honor the memory of those who were systematically murdered, to acknowledge survivors and their stories, and to pay tribute to the international coalition who bravely fought against the Nazi regime; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richmond recognizes the importance of remembering both the early warning signs and atrocities of the Holocaust, as it is essential to ensure that genocide never occurs again; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richmond encourages all residents to commemorate this day, to continue educating themselves about the Holocaust, and to remain committed to building a community that combats anti-semitism and hatred in all its forms and promotes human dignity and justice; and
WHEREAS, this day provides an opportunity for reflection on the moral responsibilities of individuals, societies, and governments to prevent genocide and to condemn it vociferously when it occurs.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Eduardo Martinez, Mayor of the City of Richmond, on behalf of the City Council and the residents of Richmond, do hereby proclaim January 27, 2025, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Richmond, California, and urge all residents to take this day to grieve the victims of the Holocaust and commit themselves to respect and justice for all people.