Statement from Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr., the Board of Regents and Commissioner Betty A. Rosa on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day

“As we commemorate Yom HaShoah, we remember and mourn the millions of lives senselessly taken from us during the Holocaust. We recall, as well, the righteous and the brave who risked everything to resist the evils of the Nazi regime. It is incumbent on all of us who seek a just and civil society to teach our children about the atrocities of the past. Evil can be defeated, but only through education and informed resistance. The great Elie Wiesel -- a Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate, and author – spoke often about the importance of remembering the lives lost in the Holocaust, instructing us that, “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

L'dor vador is an ancient concept from Judaic scripture that means "from generation to generation.” This short phrase beautifully expresses the sacred obligation to pass on our knowledge, traditions, and values from one generation to the next. We are all responsible for remembering the past, learning from our mistakes, and building a better tomorrow for future generations.

May the memories of all who perished in the Holocaust be a blessing.”