Hoan Bridge Lighting In Honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin– The Daniel M. Hoan Memorial Bridge will be lit in yellow on Monday, Jan. 27 in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day in partnership with Light The Hoan. Bridge lights will go on 30 minutes prior to sunset (around 4:30 p.m.) and will remain on until 2 a.m. Milwaukee will join other cities nationwide in illuminating local landmarks in commemorating the day.
This year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi killing center and concentration camp. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005, IHRD is meant to honor the victims of the Holocaust and bring awareness to the dangers of antisemitism and unchecked hate through education.
We’re living in a time of increased antisemitism, especially here in the United States. According to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council, there was a 570% increase in antisemitic incidents reported in Wisconsin between 2015-2023.
“The Holocaust is the world’s cautionary example of what can happen when antisemitism thrives in any society,” said Samantha Abramson, executive director of the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center. “As our state’s leading Holocaust educator, it is our job to ensure that we all remember how, when, and why the Holocaust happened, to amplify the voices of Holocaust survivors, and to provide resources for students and educators to learn this vital history.
“This past year, I had the opportunity to help lead a mission of local community members to Poland and Hungary, where we learned about pre- and post-war Jewish life and how the Holocaust unfolded. The most emotional day of our journey was our tour of Auschwitz. Together we walked the same dirt paths that some of our grandparents and relatives did. We encountered piles of suitcases, cooking tools, shoes, artificial limbs, hair, and other personal items the Nazis looted from their victims. We stood together as a Milwaukee Jewish community in front of the crematoria to say Kaddish (Jewish mourning prayer) for all those murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.”
As the number of living Holocaust survivors dwindles, it is up to all of us to be a beacon of light in sharing their stories.
In addition to the Hoan Bridge lighting:
- On Sunday, Jan. 26, 12:30-1:30 p.m., HERC will partner with the Polish Center of Wisconsin to present a special program, “Defining Genocide: Raphael Lemkin’s Life and Legacy.” A Polish Jewish lawyer and a Holocaust survivor who lost most of his family, Lemkin was the first to coin the term “genocide.” The program will include a lecture by Dr. Neal Pease, Professor Emeritus in History at UWM. Register at HolocaustCenterMilwaukee/Lemkin.
- Several buildings in downtown Milwaukee will also be lit in yellow on Monday, Jan. 27.
- HERC offers free lesson plans and resources for Wisconsin students and educators at TeachHolocaust.org.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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