ALBANY COUNTY — In an era when antisemitism is on the rise, two local legislators are sponsoring a bill to establish a permanent Holocaust Memorial on the Empire State Plaza.

The purpose, says the bill, is “to provide for a memorial for the victims of the Holocaust and to educate the public about the history of the Holocaust and the dangers of antisemitism, racism, and all manifestations of intolerance.”

“When we say ‘Never Again,’ we need to act in order for those words to have meaning,” said Patricia Fahy, the Albany Democrat sponsoring the bill in the Senate. “Creating a dedicated Holocaust Memorial where survivors, family members, and our broader community can gather to reflect and remember will memorialize the six million Jews and millions of others who died at the hands of the Nazis, fascism, and the Banality of Evil,” she said in a release announcing the proposal. 

“As the eldest survivors grow older, preserving and sharing their stories — while honoring the memory of those lost — is more important than ever,” said Gabriella Romero, a Democrat backing the bill in the Assembly.

“We must learn from the tragedies of history and recognize those dark times so that we continue to fight prejudice and intolerance moving forward,” Romero said in the release. “This memorial will be a tribute to the lives lost, but it is also a testament to the survivors who are still teaching and inspiring us.”

While New York state has the highest population of Jewish people outside of Israel, there is currently no state-sponsored Holocaust Memorial anywhere in New York, the release states, noting, “The Holocaust was a systematic, state-sponsored persecution carried out by the Nazi regime, its allies, and collaborators, leading to the deaths of millions of Jews and other peoples.”

The initiative is part of  a long-term effort that started with the original site for a Capital Region Holocaust Memorial site planned in the town of Niskayuna.

 Daniel Dembling, president of the Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial Inc., said his group supports the bill.

 “Since our organization’s founding,” Dembling said in a statement, “we have been dedicated to creating a permanent space in the Capital Region to honor the victims of the Holocaust and educate future generations. At a time when antisemitism and hate are on the rise, it is more critical than ever to provide students and the public with the tools to understand the devastating consequences of unchecked hatred.”