On the evening of January 29, the New York City Council held a poignant event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. This solemn occasion, marked by reflection, remembrance, and a renewed commitment to combating hate, was coordinated by Pesach Osina of City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams office, and Jewish Caucus Chair Council Member Eric Dinowitz. A host of esteemed elected officials attended. The event was made possible through the partnership of Yad Vashem, The World’s Holocaust Remembrance Center, and the UJA Federation of New York.
A distinguished lineup of speakers and performances helped bring the gravity of this milestone to life. Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, delivered an emotional and powerful speech, emphasizing the importance of Holocaust remembrance. Dayan spoke of the profound impact of survivors and the vital role they continue to play in shaping the legacy of the Holocaust. “For the Jewish people, liberation came too late. We paid a terrible price,” Dayan said, reminding the audience that liberation was not just a day of freedom, but the beginning of a painful and complex journey of recovery.
The evening’s music brought the memory of the Holocaust to life through a moving performance by students from LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. The musicians played a rendition of the theme from Schindler’s List, beautifully arranged by Muggiati-Feldman. This powerful piece was a poignant reminder of the atrocities that took place, as well as the resilience of those who survived.
Council Member Dinowitz opened the event with remarks about the importance of remembering the Holocaust and standing united against the rise of anti-Semitism. His words struck a chord with the audience as he noted the critical need for action to combat hate, both in New York City and around the world. Dinowitz shared a deeply moving reflection on the Torah’s emphasis on memory, explaining that remembering is not passive but involves active deeds – whether through educational initiatives, community support, or acts of solidarity.
Council Member Julie Menin, a daughter of Holocaust survivors, delivered an emotional speech that resonated with many in the room. Menin shared a personal story of her family’s survival and the painful loss of loved ones, including her grandfather, who perished in the Holocaust. She emphasized the importance of preserving these stories for future generations and shared her own project at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, where 85,000 public school eighth graders are being brought to learn about the Holocaust.
A key moment of the evening was when Holocaust survivor Gabriella Major took the stage to share her powerful testimony. Gabriella began by recounting the devastation faced by her family during the war. “Twenty-eight members of my family did not survive. They were victims of the gas chambers in Auschwitz, murdered simply because they were Jews,” she said, her voice steady but filled with the weight of grief. Major went on to share how she and her mother were able to survive the atrocities, despite unimaginable hardships.
She described being forced into the ghettos with her family, where they were subjected to brutal conditions. “We were herded into cattle cars heading for Auschwitz as the final destination. But by some miracle, our transport was diverted, and we ended up in a concentration camp in Austria called Strasshof,” Major recalled. Though Strasshof was not a gas chamber, it was a place of great suffering. For months, Major and her mother faced disease, hunger, and constant fear, but they clung to hope.
Sadly, Major’s grandmother did not survive the journey, but Gabriella and her mother endured. After their liberation, Major’s mother placed her in a broken carriage she had found by the garbage and hitchhiked through war-torn Europe. “My mother was an incredible woman. She kept us going through everything. I was just a child, but she never gave up,” Major said, her eyes reflecting both sorrow and admiration for her mother’s strength.
The journey did not end with liberation. After the war, the Major family faced additional struggles. “We were persecuted again in Hungary, under communism, simply because we were Jewish,” she explained. In 1957, they fled to Austria and later made their way to the United States, where Gabriella went on to build a new life. She became a social worker, dedicating her career to helping others who were struggling with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.
“I am blessed to have a large family now: children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren,” Gabriella said, smiling through her tears. “They give me joy and hope. It’s a testament to resilience and what we can overcome, even after the most unimaginable horrors.”
Gabriella’s testimony was a powerful reminder of the trauma that continues to shape survivors’ lives, even as they rebuild and create new legacies. She spoke passionately about the need to combat hate in all its forms, especially in light of the growing incidents of anti-Semitism across the world. “We must be active, not passive,” she urged. “Hatred kills. We must teach the next generation that love, understanding, and tolerance must prevail.”
In addition to these moving speeches, Congressman Dan Goldman delivered a message of support and commitment to the Jewish community. As co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force [in the US House of Representatives] to Combat Anti-Semitism, he spoke about the importance of education in combating Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism. Goldman introduced the Holocaust Education and Anti-Semitism Learning Act (HEEL Act), which aims to assess the current state of Holocaust education across the country and ensure that future generations understand the magnitude of the Holocaust.
The evening concluded with a rendition of “Keil Malei Rachamim,” led by Cantor Benny Rogosnitzky, as the community gathered together in memory of those lost during the Holocaust. In their closing remarks, Dinowitz and Dayan expressed their deep gratitude for the contributions of survivors and reaffirmed the commitment to never forget.
This solemn event was not only a commemoration of the past but a reminder of the collective responsibility we share to combat hate in all forms and to ensure that the stories of the survivors continue to inspire and educate future generations. The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau marks a pivotal moment in the history of Holocaust remembrance, and the City of New York stands united in the ongoing effort to ensure that the lessons of the past are never lost.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
