US EditionFaith leaders condemn a Pennsylvania Halloween parade float with an Auschwitz sign
Bishop Senior condemned the float's Holocaust imagery as profoundly offensive and pledged education with Jewish groups following widespread community backlash.
- On Friday, The Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior, Bishop of Harrisburg, apologized for a Hanover float displaying a replica of the Auschwitz gate bearing `Arbeit Macht Frei` entered by St. Joseph Catholic School.
- After the ordered arch failed to arrive, designer Galen S. Shelly said he built the gate and apologized, saying `I had no ill intent` and intended an 'eternal perspective about life'.
- Noticed Friday afternoon, online videos and posts show the float passing Center Square at about the 1 hour, 38 minute mark, prompting an ADL incident report and historical context from Auschwitz and the Holocaust, which killed about 6 million Jews.
- Following the parade, the diocese, St. Joseph Parish and School, and Metcalf Cleaning LLC apologized, the parish canceled youth events, and local police reported a threatening voicemail and terroristic-threats charge.
- Community groups wrote Jewish federations called the float 'another painful reminder' urging unity and education, while Debra Smith warned `Auschwitz is not fodder for a float` and stressed learning history to avoid repetition.
57 Articles
57 Articles
Faith Leaders Condemn a Pennsylvania Halloween Parade Float With an Auschwitz Sign
Jewish and Catholic faith leaders condemned a Halloween parade float that carried a replica of the gate to the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz as the designer behind it apologized, saying he made it “with no ill intent.” Join our WhatsApp group Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email The replica gate, topped with the sign, […]
What’s the story behind the Catholic parade float with Auschwitz imagery?
A Halloween parade in Hanover, Pennsylvania, sparked controversy over the weekend when a local Catholic school’s float included a replica of the main entrance gate at Auschwitz concentration camp, with the notorious phrase Arbeit Macht Frei — Work will set you free.The local bishop apologized for the display later that day, calling it “offensive and unacceptable.” The artist who designed the display apologized as well, saying he did not intend t…
Bishop Apologizes for Catholic School’s Offensive Halloween Float With Nazi Imagery
A drone view of the “Arbeit macht frei” gate at the former Auschwitz concentration camp ahead of the 80th anniversary of its liberation, Oswiecim, Poland, Jan. 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kacper Pempel A Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania condemned and apologized for Holocaust imagery appearing on a Halloween parade float that was presented by St. Joseph Catholic School in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Bishop Timothy C. Senior of the Diocese of Harrisburg r…
Associated Press News
Faith leaders condemn a Pennsylvania Halloween parade float with an Auschwitz sign
Jewish and Catholic faith leaders condemned a Halloween parade float that carried a replica of the gate to the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz as the designer behind it apologized, saying he made it “with no ill intent.”
Faith Leaders Condemn a Pennsylvania Halloween Parade Float With an Auschwitz Sign - Bucks County Beacon
Jewish and Catholic faith leaders condemned a Halloween parade float that carried a replica of the gate to the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz as the designer behind it apologized, saying he made it “with no ill intent.” The replica gate, topped with the sign, “Arbeit macht frei” (work will set you free), was included on the float made for Saint Joseph Catholic School in Hanover for a parade Thursday. Hanover is in a rural area about 50 mil…
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