Victims of The Holocaust were honored at the Jefferson Educational Society while speakers taught a message on how to prevent bigotry and bias from escalating.

Robin Burstein, a speaker of the event, said one of their tips given to the audience is how to respond to antisemitism when encountered in the moment in hopes of people feeling prepared to respond effectively.

The spokesperson of The Jewish Community Council of Erie said the message is important among everyone, but especially those who may not be as knowledgeable about The Holocaust.

“Especially this year it gets even more important cause we’re seeing such an alarming increase around the country in hate crimes and antisemitism so we’re trying to connect the dots this year and be more of an educational experience as well as a spiritual experience too as we light candles to memorialize the six million,” said Jeff Pinski, spokesperson for the Jewish Community Council of Erie.  

The spokesperson said he hopes there will be beneficial takeaways for everyone in attendance.