On July 21, a day after the Ninth of Av—memorial day for the destruction of the ancient Temples in Jerusalem—20,000 people gathered at Madison Square Garden in New York, with additional thousands standing outside, to protest against the Nazis’ atrocities. The participants issued a communiqué lauding the valorous spirit of the trapped Jews and urging the United Nations to give thought to the Jews’ tragedy and to express their resolve to bring the Nazis to trial. The statement expressed the commitment of American Jewry "to make any sacrifice to help the United Nations in their struggle for freedom and human decency."