Thursday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts not only issued a proclamation for the day, he also issued an executive order making it a permanent designation in the state for January 27.
Ricketts says the date was chosen because that’s the day in 1945 that American troops liberated Auschwitz, one of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps established as part of the murder of some 6-million Jews.
His proclamation for Holocaust Remembrance Day says “the evil and deparvity of the crimes against humanity committed during the Holocaust are a cause of unspeakable sorrow.”
Ricketts added that “Nebraskans mourn the Holocaust and are committed to transmitting its history and lessons to future generations.
The governor has directed state agencies to review their anti-discrimination policies to make sure acts of anti-semitism are included.
The Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha tells the stories of Holocaust survivors who moved to and settled in Nebraska while the Nebraska State Holocaust Memorial is in Lincoln’s Wyuka Cemetery.
The United State Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, inspires visitors to prevent genocide and promote human dignity. Its website www.ushmm.org has educational resources and a repository of historical information about the Holocaust