Dear Chevre,
Today, January 27, is Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this day in 1945, the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated. Today we honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism. We commit to fighting against antisemitism and hate of any kind, which includes taking action in our backyard.
This day strikes a different chord this year as we are still feeling shockwaves from the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas and continue to experience the impact of rising antisemitism and attacks at synagogues over the past few years. We are not immune to such events in Colorado: this op-ed from the Denver Post reveals the harsh reality that there were 60 anti-semitic incidents in Colorado in 2020, and even this weekend, antisemitic flyers were distributed in Denver and Arvada. The authors of the op-ed, representing the Anti-Defamation League, Temple Emmanuel, and JEWISHcolorado, write:
“As the leaders of two of the largest Jewish advocacy organizations and the largest synagogue in Colorado, we fear that violence is never far behind the normalization of antisemitism. We ask everyone… to do a better job of timely speaking out against antisemitic events when they occur.”
Together Colorado will not stand for hate or violence perpetrated against any group of people. We will boldly denounce such acts and commit to taking action until we live in a world where we can all live and worship safely. As a multifaith organization, we stand in solidarity with our Jewish siblings who have so much to process today. For community members who are not Jewish, we encourage you to read the above articles and watch a recording of the January 18 community event “Responding to Antisemitism: An Interfaith Call to Action,” hosted by the Anti-Defamation League, JEWISHcolorado, and the Rocky Mountain Rabbis and Cantors.
As people of faith, Black, white, and brown- Jewish, Christian, and Muslim- we make the way for a future where we can all worship freely and without fear.
With hope and gratitude for our multifaith community,
Lee McNeil
Board President, Together Colorado
