Greater Washington Jewish Community Dismayed by Two VA GOP House of Delegates Candidates Making Offensive Remarks Minimizing the Holocaust

As the regional leader in Holocaust remembrance and education, the JCRC works with Holocaust survivors frequently. We listen to their lived experiences, we honor the trauma they endured, and we can unequivocally state that there is no basis for comparing what they went through with any political or social debate in our region today. To suggest otherwise is an intentional distortion of reality that crosses all lines of decency. 

This week’s incident demonstrates how critical it is that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), which employs Ms. Perry as a high school Social Studies teacher, mandate teacher training about antisemitism and the Jewish people and foster greater culture competency within FCPS. The JCRC strongly urges FCPS to partner with us and take necessary steps to ensure Northern Virginia’s children are learning history with accuracy and cultural sensitivity. 

Ms. Perry acknowledged regret for her choice of words but did not offer an apology for the hurt she caused to the Jewish community. The JCRC stands ready to connect Ms. Perry or any other individual in our region to resources and educational opportunities to better understand the Holocaust and the impact of antisemitism today.