JCRC-NY and JCRC-LI Commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day with Rep. Ritchie Torres on Long Island

WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY (04/28/2025) (readMedia)-- Community members and leaders gathered Sunday evening at Congregation Shaaray Shalom in West Hempstead for a commemoration of Yom HaShoah-an annual day of remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust observed by Jewish communities worldwide. The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) was proudly represented at the important event hosted by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island (JCRC-LI) and Congregation Shaaray Shalom.

Congressman Torres, also in attendance, participated in a meaningful conversation with Larry Rosenberg, chair of Congregation Shaaray Shalom's Holocaust Remembrance Committee. The discussion, titled Perspectives of the Holocaust, focused on the importance of Holocaust memory and how elected officials can join in the fight against rising antisemitism and hate.

A highlight of the program was the lighting of eight memorial candles: six in memory of the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust, one for non-Jewish victims, and one in remembrance of lives lost on Oct. 7. Candles were lit by descendants of Holocaust survivors, Torres, and a delegation from Long Island's Center for Israel. Cantor Benjamin Warschawski of Merrick Jewish Centre performed a rendition of "Eli Eli" during the ceremony.

The program also included a communal recitation of the Mourner's Kaddish and a video testimony from Holocaust survivor Hannah Steiner.

"As a grandson of Holocaust survivors and WWII veterans, honoring the memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime is a sacred responsibility-especially when fewer survivors remain to share their stories," said Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY. "We are deeply grateful to our partners at JCRC-LI and Congregation Shaaray Shalom for hosting, and to our steadfast ally, Congressman Ritchie Torres, for joining us in solidarity. The Holocaust is a chilling reminder of what can happen when antisemitism and hate go unchecked. JCRC-NY is firmly committed to combating antisemitism and hate in all its forms to ensure such atrocities never happen again."

"I'm deeply honored to have joined the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and Congregation Shaaray Shalom for this year's Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance Program. 'Never Again' is more than just a slogan - it must be a continued moral imperative and call to action for all of us. As we reflect on the dark lessons of history, we must reaffirm our shared responsibility to fight antisemitism wherever it emerges with the vigor it deserves," said Congressman Ritchie Torres.

"On Long Island, our Jewish community recognizes the profound responsibility we carry to keep the stories of the Holocaust alive," said Mindy Perlmutter, executive director of JCRC-LI. "Our gathering on Sunday reflected that mission. We came together not only to mourn, but to reaffirm our shared purpose: 'Never Again' is not merely a phrase from the past, but a solemn promise we work to uphold every single day."

"The traditional Holocaust statement, 'Never Again', was a direct response to the haunting question: can history repeat itself? In the wake of October 7th, the alarming rise in antisemitism made the threat of history repeating itself feel all too real. Our program on Sunday connected the remembrance of the Holocaust's horrors with the urgent need for words and actions to confront and eliminate all forms of hate," said Larry Rosenberg, chair of Congregation Shaaray Shalom's Holocaust Remembrance Committee.

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JCRC-NY, a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York, serves as the primary community relations agency for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area. As an active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY operates as a central coordinating and resource body with a mission to build relationships to advance the values, interests, and security of the Jewish community and to create a more interconnected New York for all.