Kathleen Kavalec, the U.S. ambassador to Romania, talked about government initiatives to counter antisemitism during a Holocaust commemoration held this week in the capital of Bucharest as a response to the anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“The Oct. 7 attack brought to the surface painful memories left by millennia of hatred and violence against the Jewish people,” she said on Wednesday. “It is our duty to protect Jewish communities around the world, and to speak out against antisemitism.”
Kavalec stated that in this context, “we are grateful for the important efforts by the Romanian government to expand Holocaust education.” She noted a mandatory high school course on the Holocaust and plans for a Museum of Roma Culture and History.
“We welcome the Romanian government’s project to establish a Museum of Jewish History and the Holocaust,” Kavalec said. “We hope the museum will quickly receive all the necessary approvals so that construction can start as soon as possible.”
