A Confederate flag was tied to the front door of the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust on Thursday night.
The museum released a statement connecting between "these horrific acts of emboldened antisemitism" and the events that unfolded at the US Capitol earlier this week, which included far-right activists and white supremacists storming into the US Capitol on Wednesday.
"The Confederate flag is a potent symbol of white supremacy, as evidenced by the events at the US Capitol this week. Such hate has now arrived at our doorstep," the statement indicated. New York Senator Todd Kaminsky expressed his condemnation for the event, saying, "White supremacists clearly feel emboldened and want to let New Yorkers know that we are not safe either. We must stand up to this hatred as a united community and show that we will never be cowed or divided."
Earlier on Friday, the museum recommitted itself to education about the Holocaust and current extremism, hate and violence, in light of the events at the US Capitol.Many of the rioters who stormed the Capitol were carrying antisemitic and racist symbols, including Confederate flags, hoodies reading "Camp Auschwitz" and symbols of white supremacist groups.
“We have a responsibility to stand up and condemn the blatant bigotry displayed at the Capitol on Wednesday,” said Jack Kliger, president and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage. “We cannot be silent bystanders. We must speak up and take action wherever and whenever we witness hatred and threats of violence."
“Our museum draws on lessons from the Holocaust to educate about hate and injustice in our current times," added Kliger. "We remain committed to educating our visitors, whether in-person or online, on the reality and dangers of extremism.”
The museum will join the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the New York Board of Rabbis in presenting the "Extremism: What you need to know in 2021" virtual event to discuss the challenges of present-day extremism and ways to fight it, on Thursday, January 14 at 9 p.m. IST (2 p.m. EST).
Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, and Kliger will moderate a discussion with panelists Talia Lavin, a journalist and author of Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy, Oren Segal, vice president of the ADL’s Center on Extremism, and Eric Ward, executive director of the Western States Center and senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center and Race Forward.
The museum will also offer two virtual field trips: "Meeting hate with humanity: Life during the Holocaust” and “Love thy neighbor: Immigration and the US experience.”
The Museum switch to online programming at the beginning of the pandemic and has since reopened, but has continued to offer online programming. A number of virtual educational events were offered last year and are available on YouTube.