New York City's skyline will don a vibrant shade of yellow tonight, as announced by Mayor Eric Adams, in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The lighting of City Hall and several other municipal buildings is a nod to the importance of remembering atrocities, particularly marking the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz concentration camp's liberation, detailed in a report by the City of New York's official website.
Mayor Adams emphasized the significance of this act of remembrance, stating, "On this 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we stand at a profound moment in history, where remembrance is not just about the past, but about securing our future," as per the city's release. Hosting an exhibition at the City Hall Rotunda, entitled "The Anguish of Liberation as Reflected in Art," New Yorkers will have the opportunity to engage with art from the Yad Vashem Collection that captures survivors' immediate post-liberation experiences and the show will run for the following week and will reflect the complex emotions of the Holocaust survivors during the difficult period of freedom and reconstruction.
The exhibition plays a dual role in education and remembrance, featuring poignant artwork from Holocaust survivors as a form of testimony and resistance. Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, supported the city's gesture, saying "The only way to combat hate is through education, and we must teach future generations that there is far more that unites us, than divides us," as stated in the official release from the city. Echoed by Chairman of Yad Vashem, Dani Dayan, the display serves as a reminder to act against the spread of contemporary antisemitism and preserve these crucial narratives.
Landmarks joining City Hall in this vivid act of remembrance include the Bronx Borough Hall, the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building, Queens Borough Hall, and Staten Island Borough Hall all of which will be illuminated at sundown, according to the announcement. Lauder sees the city's participation in the World Jewish Congress' #WeRemember campaign as a symbolic gesture, reminding citizens not to forget the past, but also to look forward to what can be achieved together; meanwhile Mark Treyger, CEO of Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and a descendant of Holocaust survivors, expressed personal gratitude towards Mayor Adams for the city’s act of solidarity that reinforces the message of resilience and vigilance against hate.
