The ADL Mountain States Region thanks Governor Jared Polis for his proclamation declaring April 4-10 as Holocaust Remembrance Week in Colorado. View the proclamation here. The full text of the proclamation follows.

PROCLAMATION:

WHEREAS, the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was a tragic genocide where approximately six million Jews and five million other persons were systematically killed by the Nazi regime and its collaborators between 1939 and 1945; and

WHEREAS, the legacy of the Holocaust provides occasion to reflect on the moral responsibilities of individuals, societies, and governments; and

WHEREAS, we should remain forever vigilant against hatred, persecution, and tyranny; and

WHEREAS, in a time of increased anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial we should be ever more vigilant in ensuring that students are educated about these crimes against humanity; and

WHEREAS, in a time when we cannot take our democracy or the rule of law for granted, we should be increasingly alert to threats against minority communities; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has established the Days of Remembrance as the nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust, as the time set aside to honor all its victims, survivors, and liberators, and as a reflection on the importance of dignity and respect for all persons; and

WHEREAS, we echo the words of Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, who warned: “A genocide begins with the killing of one man – not for what he has done, but because of who he is;”

THEREFORE, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby proclaim, the period of time between April 4 and April 10, 2021 as

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE WEEK

GIVEN under my hand and the
Executive Seal of the State of
Colorado, this first day of April,
2021
Jared Polis
Governor