WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) announced that she and members of the Congressional Jewish Caucus (CJC) sent a letter to Google urging the company to reverse its decision to remove International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) from its default calendar display. The letter requesting that Google reverse this decision marks the first initiative to be endorsed by the newly formed CJC.
Google Calendar recently removed references to International Holocaust Remembrance Day and JAHM from its default display, according to various press reports. The timing of the removal comes as the Trump Administration ramps up attacks on a broader array of public and private diversity efforts.
“Reversing Google’s decision will not stop hate or antisemitism in its tracks, but it will serve as an effective and necessary tool to combat this most ancient hatred and uplift the Jewish American community,” the CJC members wrote Sundar Pichai,CEO of Google and parent company Alphabet. “Choosing to remain silent in the face of these ageless animosities, however, is a conscious decision to aid them.”
“One of the most effective tools for combating antisemitism and hate is education. We commit to ‘never again’ by ensuring that society learns from the horrors of unchecked antisemitism and to dedicate ourselves to remembering and bringing awareness of the Holocaust,” the letter notes. “It is alarming that globally, 1 in 5 adults have not heard of the Holocaust, with less than half recognizing the Holocaust’s historical accuracy. Given your controlling reach in global searches, decisions such as Google’s will only exacerbate this unacceptable ignorance and blindness to hate.”
Wasserman Schultz sponsored the original resolution that created JAHM in 2005. Since then, JAHM has been recognized annually by Presidents of both parties, including Presidents George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden.
The full letter with Member signatures can be found here.
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Preceding provided by the Congressional Jewish Caucus.