TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, one organization is working to remind the community why remembering the past still matters today.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the organization Hate Ends Now chose one of the most public spaces in the state of Florida to make a statement \u2014 the Florida State Capitol.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur 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,\u201d Cohn said.<\/p>\n
A replica of a Holocaust-era cattle car sat outside the Florida Capitol. Organizers say the exhibit is meant to spark conversation and reflection.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Holocaust didn\u2019t start with cattle cars. It started with everyday people that didn\u2019t have the moral clarity or courage or education to stand up to hate,\u201d Cohn said.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt impactful,\u201d said participant Brandon Lehrman. \u201cYou really felt, and you were really put into the shoes, the millions of shoes, that were there in that time period.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s world.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely crucial that we don\u2019t let this fall to the wayside, and we keep educating and we keep having the hardest conversations that there are to have, because that\u2019s how we\u2019re going to evoke fundamental change,\u201d Bingaman said.<\/p>\n
The goal is to make sure the stories of Holocaust survivors never die, and that people never forget.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current youth are probably the last generation to hear firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors,\u201d Bingaman said. \u201cWe are at the point where the survivors they hear from in the cattle car\u2014 they\u2019re still alive today, but they\u2019re nearly 100 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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