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Tue, October 05, 2021

Solidarity with Alaska’s Jewish Community


Statement on History, the Climate of Divisiveness, and Support and Solidarity
with Alaska’s Jewish Community

The Alaska Historical Society Board of Directors expresses support and solidarity with Alaska’s Jewish community. In the last few weeks, we have watched with dismay as a series of anti-Semitic actions have taken place in our largest community, Anchorage.

A few weeks ago, the Alaska Jewish Museum was again vandalized. This time, vandals etched swastikas and placed Nazi stickers across the museum’s entry door. More recently, community members who attended a public hearing to register opposition to a proposal that Anchorage adopt an indoor mask mandate donned Stars of David, drawing parallels to German Jews targeted by the Nazi regime in the 1930s and early ‘40s.

The AHS is dedicated to the promotion of Alaska’s history, the celebration of our rich cultural diversity and to the civil exchange of ideas. We recognize that acts of anti-Semitic vandalism and the misappropriation of Nazi-era iconography display not only a gross misuse of history but also a deep-seated ignorance and maliciousness that we must dedicate ourselves to address and eradicate.

Therefore, we at the Historical Society deem these actions as offensive, hateful, and worthy of public repudiation.

William S. Schneider, President                                       Ian C. Hartman, Chair, Advocacy Committee

October 2, 2021

Click here for a PDF of the signed document