On January 30, 2025, Shalom Austin CEO Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus, on behalf of the Austin Jewish community, receives a proclamation honoring International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Credit: Wendy Goodman

By Wendy Goodman  

On January 30, 2025, members and leaders of the Austin Jewish community, rabbis and descendants of Holocaust survivors came out to Austin City Hall for a proclamation ceremony honoring International Holocaust Remembrance Day. District 10 Council Member Marc Duchen, on behalf of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, presented the proclamation to Shalom Austin CEO Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus on behalf of the Austin Jewish community.  

The proclamation designates January 27 as Holocaust Remembrance Day for Austin, Texas. The proclamation states, “Whereas, the City of Austin joins the people around the world on January 27, 2025 to remember the lessons of the Holocaust and to pay tribute to its victims and survivors. It is critical now more than ever for us, as a city, to act against discrimination, respect one another, and defend our common humanity.”  

“Antisemitism, hatred, and violence have no place in a healthy society. As fear and anger bloom in this country, we must seek out opportunities to show our support for, stand with, and protect our neighbors, our places of worship, our homes and businesses,” Duchen said.   

The proclamation was presented to the Jewish community following Holocaust Remembrance Week which occurred January 21 to January 27. During this time, memorial events, survivor testimonies and educational programs take place. The week culminated on January 27, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Poland.  

In 2024, Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, with assistance from the Texas Education Agency, conducted a survey of nearly 950 K-12 school districts across the country about their awareness of and participation in Holocaust Remembrance Week. The data showed, “32.2% of respondents indicated they were ‘very aware’ of HRW, while more than one-third of respondents (37.2%) said they were ‘somewhat aware,’ and the remaining respondents indicated they were ‘not aware’ (30.6%). Nearly a quarter of campuses (23.5%) indicated they do not participate in HRW at all. Approximately 3 in 4 respondents indicated that HRW lesson plans (71.8%) and audio/visual resources (77.9%) would be ‘very’ or ‘extremely useful.’”  

Based on these findings, THGAAC has provided recommendations for closing the gaps in Holocaust education in K-12 schools, such as increasing outreach, clarifying lesson plans, updating school requirements, and more.