The corner of East 67th Street and 3rd Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side bears a new name -Yad Vashem Way, honoring the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel.
On Thursday, Jan. 30, three days after the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, representatives of the Park East Synagogue at 163 E 67th Street, community members, and elected officials gathered for the street co-naming ceremony to ensure the legacy of Holocaust victims is honored in New York City. The street sign serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed against the Jewish people and encourages to stand up against hatred and antisemitism.
Park East Synagogue has been serving the Jewish community since 1890 and is home to many Holocaust survivors, among them Arthur Schneier, who has been a senior rabbi at the Park East Synagogue for 63 years.
Rabbi Schneier was born in Vienna, Austria, and witnessed first-hand when the Nazis burned down the synagogue he attended as a young child during Pogrom Night -Night of Broken Glass or Kristallnacht- in November 1938. Schneier lived under Nazi occupation in Budapest, Hungary, until he was liberated on Jan. 14, 1945.
The street co-naming was very emotional and personal for him, said Rabbi Schneier, whose grandparents died in Auschwitz. He thanked the NYPD and the FDNY for protecting the Jewish community and synagogues. He recalled that Austrian policemen were rejoicing and dancing when his synagogue burned down.
“1200 synagogues in Germany and Austria were destroyed. God bless America for the freedom we have. We must never forget, because it can happen again,” said Schneier, who received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001.
Hate crimes against the Jewish community worldwide have been on the rise in recent years and amplified after the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Just last Sunday, Miriam, a popular Israeli restaurant in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn, was vandalized with anti-semitic graffiti.
“The rising antisemitism right here in Manhattan, in New York City, [at] neighboring universities, I experienced all that in Vienna first. I was not wanted. I was marked by my close friends,” Schneier said. “That’s when I learned hatred is taught.”
New York City Councilmember Keith Powers (D-Brooklyn), whose district includes the Upper East Side, expressed the street co-naming was a “token of appreciation” for the work Yad Vashem does, preserving the history of Holocaust victims and survivors.
“In times of rising antisemitism and fear across our country, within our city as well, it is more important than ever before that we remember what happened during that time,” said Powell, stressing the importance of educating future generation about the atrocities of the Holocaust.
Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, said remembering the Holocaust was an obligation to the victims and Yad Vashem was dedicated to preserving the memories of the 6 million Jewish people, who died in the gas chambers, the Jewish communities destroyed by the Nazis, the Jewish ghettos and its resistant fighters, and the struggle of Jews to maintain their human dignity.
“[Yad Vashem] reminds us the dangers of denial, of distortion, of indifference, and ensures that the lessons of the Holocaust remain clear and uncompromised,” Dayan said.
Yad Vashem was established in 1953 and is the largest Holocaust center in the world. Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis pointed out that the center is the leader in Holocaust research and education.
“People come from around the world to witness the horrors of the Shoah (Hebrew for Holocaust), and perceive the resilience of the Jewish people, first hand in the heart of the world, Jerusalem, the ancient capital of the Jewish people,” Akunis said.
Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-Democrat) said with antisemitism on the rise, it was critical to not forget the lessons of the Holocaust.
“The co-naming of the street to Yad Vashem Way is a living testament to the resilience of the Jewish spirit and why we staunchly recommit confronting antisemitism wherever we encounter [it],” Nadler said.
New York City is home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine pointed out that 20,000 Holocaust survivors lived in New York City. He described the denigration of the Holocaust as “extremely painful.”
“Holocaust denialism is on the rise, the ancient beast of antisemitism is rearing its ugly head, not just around the world, but here in New York City, on the streets of Manhattan,” Levine said.
It was more important than ever for New Yorkers to stand up and ensure that the memory of the Holocaust was not erased, the Manhattan Beep said.
“It is extremely important that this institution of Yad Vashem, which is more necessary than ever, a mission which is more vital than ever, is now going to have rightful place on the street of New York City,” Levine said.
