In an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom, Pennsylvania State Representative Mark Gillen shared that he is pushing forward with plans to build a Holocaust museum in Berks County in the face of growing antisemitism. The Republican lawmaker, who recently visited Israel, is determined to create an educational center despite facing threats and opposition.
Gillen, who has represented Pennsylvania's 128th district since 2010, recently traveled to Israel with the Harel Association. During his visit, he volunteered on military bases, packing first aid kits and food parcels to support soldiers amid manpower shortages. The Republican legislator also toured Christian sites in Jerusalem's Old City and visited Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial. "I'm enjoying Israel very, very much. It is a very spiritual land," Gillen told Israel Hayom. "I'm encouraging people and lifting their spirits because I stand up for them abroad."
The Pennsylvania representative's commitment to preserving history extends beyond his recent trip. Gillen founded The Berks Military History Museum in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, which houses World War II artifacts. The museum's construction incorporated reclaimed wood from German POW barracks formerly used at a Pennsylvania airport.
Encouraged by the public interest in the Holocaust section of his military museum, Gillen is now focusing on a new project: The Berks Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Set to be built in 2025, the museum will be funded by community contributions and will feature more of the reclaimed wood from the barracks and also steel from the World Trade Center as "I was a first responder and firefighter on 9/11."
All the artifacts for the museum were loaned or bought, mainly from Europe. So far, he has acquired Warsaw Ghetto Stars of David and concentration camp uniforms. He is currently in the market for a WWII train car and intends to go to antique shops in Poland in the future. Governor of Pennsylvania since 2023 and friend of Gillen, Josh Shapiro, has expressed his support for the project.
"I wasn't expecting the effort antisemites took to shut down my project," Gillen revealed to Israel Hayom. The opposition became so severe that a bomb squad was placed on standby during the ceremonial groundbreaking in 2021. Following the October 7 attack on Israel, Gillen faced further harassment after publishing a commentary supporting Israel and condemning Hamas in a local paper.
Online, Gillen was targeted with antisemitic slurs and Holocaust denial comments like, "You f*cking Jew piece of sh*t," "Shove your fake Holocaust up your ass," and "Why do you want to commemorate these pieces of sh*t?". "Because I'm a public official, you have to live with this," he lamented. "They want to get inside your head, and I won't let them. It only validated that we should be doing this."
Gillen's stance against antisemitism extends to his political actions. He recently removed state funding from the University of Pennsylvania, calling it a "hub of antisemitism." The lawmaker stated it was entirely unacceptable to "give taxpayer dollars to schools allowing these protests to go on in violation of their own rules of hate speech and threats." When approached by the university administration about potentially restoring funding, Gillen responded, "Not unless you enforce policy changes."
Our Commonwealth has a rich military story to tell, and Berks County is no exception. Recently, I had the privilege of touring the historic Berks Military History Museum. Inside are artifacts, uniforms, & memorabilia from approx. 1933 onward - these displays are worth the visit! pic.twitter.com/37uXJXZMRd
— Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) October 21, 2020
The representative also commented on the recent shooting at the Pennsylvania Trump rally, "I thought I was misreading because of my jetlag" and that it was utterly "jarring." Gillen, who serves as chairman of emergency affairs, noted that "it hit close to home because my secretary was sitting right behind Trump where the bullets hit, and my good friends Congressman Dan Meuser and US Senate candidate Dave McCormick were there."
"Assassinations are sadly a part of US history, and we need to ratchet down the rhetoric that 'the other party is the enemy' and visceral hatred for someone on the other side of the aisle. It is a problem," Gillen stated. He emphasized his own approach to politics, saying, "When I ran for office, I never discussed my competitor; it is just not who I am. But unfortunately, this is the exception, not the rule regarding politicians."
