Rep. Jonathan Brostoff
Press Release

Rep. Brostoff Statement on Unanimous Passage of AB 816

“‘Never Again’ Should Never Be Just a Phrase”

By - Feb 18th, 2020 09:19 pm

MADISON – In response to the unanimous passage earlier this evening of Assembly Bill 816, State Representative Jonathan Brostoff (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement:

“‘Never again’ should never be just a phrase. But, as time has drawn on, and more and more Holocaust survivors and survivors of other genocides pass away, we risk losing sight of just what ‘never again’ means. But we owe it to those survivors to keep their memory alive and to continuously grapple with the depths of human darkness in an effort to make sure that nothing so horrible ever happens again. This bill hits particularly close to home for me – as a Jewish American, my family came to this country in order to escape the shadow and violence of anti-Semistism in Europe that preceded the Holocaust. By teaching our students about the Holocaust and these other painful moments in history, we can work together to ensure that future generations truly understand that only light can drive out the darkness of violent hatred.”

AB 816 will require instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides to be incorporated into Wisconsin social studies standards, so that all of Wisconsin’s students will learn about and come to understand the significance of these darkest of moments in human history.

“I want to sincerely thank all of the authors and co-sponsors of this bill, and I am so glad that we can, as a body, stand up and show that our history, our ancestors, and our experiences, matter – not just in the past, not just now, but for all time.”

AB 816 now awaits action in the State Senate.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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