Antisemitism by Omission in OMH #3: Holocaust Memorial Day, Antisemitism ignored, yet again.

Today, April 18th, Jews around the world observed the Holocaust Remembrance Day or as we call it, Yom Ha’Shoha. Somehow it is not observed at the same date as the Internationals Holocaust Remembrance Day, as the international community decided to commemorate it on the day the concentration camp, Auschwitz, was liberated. Yom Ha’Shoah however, meant to commemorate the uprising in Warsaw Ghetto, the most heroic story of Jewish resilience. Only the Warsaw Ghetto uprise was on the evening of Passover. A compromised date was declared: a week after Passover and a week before the memorial day for Israeli soldiers who died in wars and those who were killed in terror attacks.

Throughout the years I have been working for the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), we have been receiving emails every year from Commissioner Sullivan as well as from the “Office of Diversity and Inclusion” (ODI) to increase awareness and commemorate important social issues. Emails sent on LGBTQAI+ Pride Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Black History Month and Junteenth, surrounding the events following George Floyd brutal murder, after the mass shooting in Buffalo and in the elementary school in Texas. All are well deserved matters that I am glad to see the Commissioner found them to be important enough to address all employees of OMH. In all these emails they address how much racism, exclusion could create mental and emotional distress. After all, as a psychiatric hospital network, this is the focus.

Last month, with the start of Ramadan, the ODI sent an email to embrace and wish all Muslims employees a blessed Ramadan, addressing inclusion and more. The Commissioner even sent an email titled “Ramadan Mubarak”. Wow. Nice! I was waiting, admittedly, with great skepticism, that maybe Passover will get a similar message. I was right to be skeptic. When passover started- nothing. Closer to Easter, which overlapped Passover, she sent a very generic email to “all New Yorkers who celebrate holidays”, or something to this effect. To her “credit”, Easter got the same mediocre wishes.

My facility, Manhattan Psychiatric Center, had a beautiful decoration at the main lobby for Easter and Ramadan Mubarak signs. Passover doesn’t exist in MPC, nor in OMH.

So when Yam Hashoah came, I thought they will finally surprise me.

Governor Hockul addressed Yom Ha’Shoah in her speech on the evening of. I thought that will trickle down and OMH will follow.

OMH and MPC do not seem to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity to address antisemitism. THis is is site the most recent report by ADL showing that antisemitic crimes in USA has reached an all-time high record and that NYS and NYC are leading that trend.

To be clear, on January 27th, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the day wasn’t acknowledged either, nor antisemitism was addressed. EVER!

Somehow, when it comes to us, the minority Jewish employees in OMH, we are not included. OMH does not seem to understand that silencing and ignoring the topic is as good as igniting and feeding the antisemitic fire. Jewish employees, like me, who feel excluded, ignored and invisible, our emotional angst is not considered let alone addressed. The systematic antisemitism in OMH and MPC is so deep as it starts with a commissioner who is, at best, ignorant, and at worse an antisemite (I will never know). It continues with an office of “Diversity and Inclusion” that is very selective in who and what they include.

When will NYS OMH and Office and so-called Diversity and Inclusion will understand that Antisemitism is Racism?!