Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on Holocaust Remembrance Day and Shared Humanity

Honoring Holocaust Survivors and Remembrance

• 🌟 Governor Shapiro expresses deep gratitude to Representative Frankle for his leadership and support of the Squirrel Hill community following the deadliest anti-Semitic attack on US soil.
• 🤝 He thanks members of the General Assembly, community leaders, and all attendees for dedicating themselves to remembering the Holocaust and ensuring "never again" becomes a way of life.
• 💖 A special tribute is given to Esther, a Holocaust survivor from Reading, Pennsylvania, whose inspiring story of survival and resilience deeply impacted the Governor.
• 🗣️ Shapiro emphasizes the critical importance of sharing survivors' stories, like Esther's, with current and future generations to combat ignorance and bias.

Education and Holocaust Awareness

• 📚 The Governor highlights the work of First Lady Lori Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Department of Education in developing an updated toolkit for educators on Holocaust education.
• 🏫 This toolkit has been accessed by 1,600 teachers, and eight training sessions have been conducted across Pennsylvania to ensure these vital stories are taught.
• 💡 The goal is to move beyond reciting slogans to embedding the lessons of the Holocaust into daily life and policy-making.

Pennsylvania's Foundation of Welcome and Unity

• 🗽 Shapiro reflects on his family's visit to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, underscoring the nation's history as a welcoming place for people of all faiths and backgrounds.
• 🤝 He connects this to William Penn's vision for Pennsylvania as a place of warmth and welcome for all people, regardless of their faith.
• 🗣️ The Governor acknowledges the rise in anti-Semitism but urges a focus on the positive aspects of shared humanity and the goodness found within the Commonwealth.

Shared Humanity and Moral Clarity

• 🙏 An anecdote about thanking firefighters and receiving a prayer from a Christian chaplain illustrates the power of shared faith and humanity across different backgrounds.
• 🤝 This shared strength, drawn from a common chapter in the Book of Numbers, exemplifies how Pennsylvanians are bound together.
• ✅ Shapiro calls for a collective dedication to removing hatred and bigotry, while also recognizing and learning from the everyday acts of goodness and support among Pennsylvanians.
• 💖 He encourages finding our "better angels" and ensuring "never again" is a promise and purpose for the Commonwealth.