LAX Leader

The Board of Education approved today a resolution sponsored by Board Vice President Scott M. Schmerelson, and co-sponsored by all the Board Members in attendance, honoring January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day and recognizing the week of Sunday, April 16 through Sunday, April 23 as Days of Remembrance.

 

The District will also hold a moment of silence on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and in honor of the survivors, rescuers and liberators. Relevant and appropriate instructional resources will also be made available to all P-12 educators to utilize on this day.

“We must continue to remember and honor the history and narratives of our Jewish residents, students and families,” Board Vice President Schmerelson said. “This resolution will allow us to guide our administrators and educators by providing them with the necessary resources to address the history and the rise in hate and discrimination in our nation.”

 

“Now, more than ever, it is imperative we remember the horrors of the Holocaust,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “Let’s not deceive ourselves into believing we are beyond the atrocities of murder and genocide, for hatred, xenophobia and bigotry have no expiration date. Turning a blind eye or remaining silent is not an option, and I encourage you to never be a bystander when confronted with or witness to discrimination and injustice.”

 

“There are some extremists who want us to forget the state-sanctioned slaughter of six million Jews, Roma, gay people, those with disabilities and so many labeled as ‘other,’” Board President Jackie Goldberg said. “Let me say this loudly and clearly: we will not forget, we will fight to ensure history never repeats, and we will honor survivors.”

 

“As educators, we have an obligation to teach students about all forms of injustice and human rights atrocities as means to ensure that they are prepared to speak out against them and prevent similar actions in the future,” said Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III.

 

“Justice requires that we keep alive the memory of Holocaust survivors and victims,” Board Member Dr. Rocío Rivas. “The Days of Remembrance call on us to be ever vigilant against tyranny and hate, and to reaffirm our commitment to the dignity and worth of all people.”

 

“We know that education can be one of the most powerful antidotes to hatred and discrimination,” Board Member Nick Melvoin said. “As we see a frightening rise in anti-Semitism both locally and around the world, our classrooms can provide important lessons about atrocities of the past to help foster a brighter future.”

 

“These Days of Remembrance help us honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and encourage us to reflect on our responsibility as educators to develop meaningful curriculum and help prevent future genocides,” Board Member Kelly Gonez said.

 

“Through this resolution, we stand with our Jewish community to create intentional spaces to reflect on the impact of the Holocaust,” Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin said. “It is imperative that we hold brave educational conversations with all of our scholars that allow us to confront the injustices of the past so that we create a better future through deepening our cultural relationships with one another.”

 

“On January 27, 1945, Allied troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau,” Student Board Member Nathaniel Shin said. “Seventy eight years later, extremism and prejudice still rear its ugly head. We owe it to both the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust to confront antisemitism, bigotry, ignorance and indifference anywhere we see it. Education is our greatest weapon in this fight. We cannot allow the lessons of this abhorrent chapter of history to fade over time.”

 

"Associated Administrators of Los Angeles fully supports the Resolution Remembering and Honoring the Holocaust and the need for current and future LAUSD students to learn about and from this horrific part of history so as not to ever have a repeat of such hate towards any peoples,” President of the Associated Administrators Los Angeles Nery Paiz said.

 

“This action is an important distinction and step to show the Jewish residents of Los Angeles, and especially Jewish students and their families, that our narratives are honored, our history is remembered, and our persecution will never be forgotten or repeated,” Assistant Director of Education and Community Outreach at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Debby Berman said.

Original source can be found here