The iconic Atlantic City skyline underwent a somber and symbolic transformation Tuesday evening as eight major casino properties illuminated their exteriors in yellow. The display marks the second year of a powerful partnership between the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University and the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ).
The initiative is part of the “Light Up America Yellow” campaign, a nationwide movement timed to International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The color yellow was chosen to reclaim the symbol of the Star of David badges that Jewish people were forced to wear under Nazi persecution.
This year’s commemoration saw expanded participation, with eight resorts joining the cause:
- Bally’s Atlantic City
- Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
- Caesars Atlantic City
- Golden Nugget Atlantic City
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
- Ocean Casino Resort
- Resorts Atlantic City
- Tropicana Atlantic City
“As the Atlantic City casinos illuminate in yellow, let us take this opportunity to be reminded that from darkness, we are responsible for bringing forth light,” Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, director of Stockton’s Holocaust Resource Center said. He emphasized that the display serves as a “social bulwark against antisemitism and all forms of hate.”
The partnership began in 2025 when Moreno-Rodriguez approached Mark Giannantonio, president and CEO of Resorts and president of CANJ. For Giannantonio, a Stockton alumnus who studied Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the cause is personal.
“This day reminds us of the responsibility we all share to remember, to educate, and to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated,” Giannantonio said, noting that 2026 marks the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Atlantic City joins a prestigious list of American landmarks participating in the tribute, including Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia. The ultimate goal of the coalition is to see buildings in all 50 states participate, ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust remain a national priority for future generations.
