Holocaust
“The Nazi campaign to steal art treasured by Jewish families and others targeted by the regime was about more than a pilfering of property. It was a deeply personal theft and an act of inhumanity,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal stated.
“The murders cannot be undone. Denying the victims’ remembrance adds another grave wrong: It continues the effort to erase them from history.”
Lawmakers warn that merging the office with the antisemitism envoy’s post could diminish its focus on restitution, survivor advocacy and Holocaust memory.
“The return of this painting corrects a longstanding historical wrong and restores to us an important piece of our heritage,” stated Paul Laporte, a great-grandson of the prior owner of the work, Sofie Heilbronner.
“There are countless lessons of the Holocaust, but one of the strongest ones is what can happen when ordinary people look at hatred with indifference,” Sen. Jacky Rosen told JNS.
The move is part of a growing effort by the Trump administration to root out Jew-hatred in Latin America, which flourished among leftist governments after Oct. 7.
“One of the least appreciated forms of resistance are the efforts by Jews to maintain cultural and religious traditions while under sustained, brutal assault,” the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum director told JNS.
The sculpture commemorates the defiance of five Jewish Latvian women and girls who “embodied unshakable courage and dignity in the face of certain death.”
Charlotte Knobloch, who leads the city’s Jewish community, canceled her attendance at a book launch following the incident.
Widawski, a younger brother and an uncle were the only members of the family to survive the Nazi extermination of Jews.
Shelly Headen has a history of inflammatory posts and domestic violence cases.
“Not everyone can go to a rally,” Aaron Herman, who leads the nonprofit IMPACT, told JNS. “Not everyone can go out in the streets, but they can go from their couch.”
