TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, one organization is working to remind the community why remembering the past still matters today.
On Tuesday, the organization Hate Ends Now chose one of the most public spaces in the state of Florida to make a statement — the Florida State Capitol.
Todd Cohn, CEO of Hate Ends Now, said the organization hopes to ignite conversation about the history of the Holocaust and all forms of bigotry.
“Our goal is to bring a message of tolerance to students and communities around Florida, and the way we do that is through the lens of the Holocaust,” Cohn said.
A replica of a Holocaust-era cattle car sat outside the Florida Capitol. Organizers say the exhibit is meant to spark conversation and reflection.
“The Holocaust didn’t start with cattle cars. It started with everyday people that didn’t have the moral clarity or courage or education to stand up to hate,” Cohn said.
More Tallahassee news:
Hate Ends Now engaged with the community through the mobile exhibit. Inside the cattle car, visitors watch a video sharing powerful stories from Holocaust survivors.
“It felt impactful,” said participant Brandon Lehrman. “You really felt, and you were really put into the shoes, the millions of shoes, that were there in that time period.”
Avery Bingaman, Lead Educator for Hate Ends, says the message is especially important now. Antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high, and they say they are seeing too many parallels between that time period and today’s world.
“It’s absolutely crucial that we don’t let this fall to the wayside, and we keep educating and we keep having the hardest conversations that there are to have, because that’s how we’re going to evoke fundamental change,” Bingaman said.
The goal is to make sure the stories of Holocaust survivors never die, and that people never forget.
“The current youth are probably the last generation to hear firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors,” Bingaman said. “We are at the point where the survivors they hear from in the cattle car— they’re still alive today, but they’re nearly 100 years old.”
Hate Ends Now will continue its outreach on Wednesday morning at Leon High School, where the organization will educate students about the Holocaust and share its message of remembrance.
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.
Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.