The following is a joint statement issued by The Florida Holocaust Museum, Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, The Zekelman Holocaust Center, Holocaust Center for Humanity, Holocaust & Humanity Center, and Holocaust Museum L.A. in response to the vandalism at Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity:
Holocaust museums are no strangers to acts of antisemitism. We teach how those acts, celebrated and reinforced at all levels of Nazi society, led to the murder of approximately six million Jews.
The senseless scapegoating of Jews did not begin or end with the Holocaust. It’s been happening for thousands of years, and while the pretext may change, the antisemitic motivation is the same.
Last week saw another example of scapegoating, this time in the form of vandalism against Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity, where a photo of a child Holocaust Survivor was defaced with the phrase “Genocide in Gaza.” As leaders of many of America’s Holocaust museums, we strongly condemn this crime – and we also recognize it as an opportunity to educate.
Holding Jews – much less a Holocaust museum – responsible for the wartime actions of a foreign government is unacceptable and straightforwardly antisemitic.
Hate crimes against American Jews have tripled since Hamas’ unprovoked terrorist attack against Israeli civilians on October 7th, 2023, with many of those crimes motivated by inaccurate allegations of genocide against Israel. Our mission to guard the memory of Holocaust Survivors and victims requires clarity on what does and does not constitute genocide, especially where misconceptions lead to hateful acts of antisemitism.
Education is the only way to break this cycle. Let’s commit to working together toward a more peaceful and accepting world.
Schedule a visit to your local Holocaust museum today and empower your community to stand as allies in the fight against antisemitism!
Photo: Scott Edwards