Federal funding approved this month will enable the nonprofit Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial to support its Traveling Holocaust Education Program, the organization announced Wednesday.
CDJHM will receive $600,000 to fast-track its rollout of pop-up exhibits at schools, museums and community centers across New York state in its effort to educate students and the public about the Holocaust, the dangers of antisemitism and the consequences of hatred.
Its traveling memorials focus on communities where Holocaust education isn’t easily accessible and memorializing the six million Jews and other victims that died at the hands of the Nazis last century.
The funding was initiated by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and backed by Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Paul Tonko, CDJHM President Dan Dembling said.
“This support will allow us to make Holocaust education more accessible and impactful, ensuring that more people understand the devastating consequences of hatred,” he said. “As firsthand stories of the Holocaust continue to fade, the urgency to remember, to educate, and to work together toward tikkun olam – healing the world – has never been greater.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in December to create a permanent New York State Holocaust Memorial at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. The state Office of General Services is overseeing the design, programming and location.