As a powerful symbol of remembrance, State Senator Sara Feigenholtz and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office in Springfield will be illuminated yellow in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“The Holocaust is not only a chapter in history, but a collective trauma that continues to shape our families, our communities and our commitment to ensuring such atrocities are never forgotten or repeated,” said Feigenholtz (D-Chicago). “Illuminating the Treasurer’s Office in our state’s capital city stands as a public reaffirmation of our values in the face of rising antisemitism and hate.”
The former Marine Bank Building that is now home to the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office at 1 E. Old State Capitol Plaza in Springfield will be illuminated yellow on Tuesday, Jan. 27 in commemoration. The initiative to illuminate state landmarks yellow in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day began in New York in 2022. It has since expanded to at least eight other states, including Illinois – serving as a powerful tribute to the six million Jews and the millions of others who were murdered during the Holocaust.
Illinois has a strong history of ensuring public policy reflects a commitment to eradicating hatred in all its forms. In 1990, Illinois became the first state in the nation to require Holocaust study as part of the public school curriculum. Feigenholtz and Treasurer Frerichs have continued this legacy as instrumental allies to Illinois’ Jewish communities. While serving in the General Assembly in 2010, both Feigenholtz and Frerichs supported legislation that created the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission to promote awareness and provide guidance on Holocaust and genocide education and commemoration across the state.
“During a time of rising antisemitism and intolerance, when strongmen seek to ignore international borders and dehumanize their perceived enemies, the words ‘never forget’ have never been more important,” said Frerichs. “This Holocaust Remembrance Day, my office will shine a light in the darkness. We must work together to ensure that the darkness can never overcome it.”
