In the wake of recent events, the necessity to learn from history and honor the memory of past atrocities has taken on renewed urgency. As the global community gears up to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yad Vashem – Israel’s revered memorial to the victims of the Holocaust – stands as a poignant reminder of the perils of forgetting the lessons of the past.
Scheduled for Sunday evening, May 5, the solemn State Opening Ceremony at Yad Vashem’s Warsaw Ghetto Square holds a particular resonance. The Oct. 7 massacres, where Jews living in southern Israel were brutally attacked and murdered by genocide-driven terrorists, felt unfathomably familiar. These events rang a familiar, unnerving tone: of the presence of unwavering hate and the dire consequences that await if we choose to ignore the history of events that led up to the persecution of Jews and the Holocaust.
Eclipsed only by the global trend of antisemitism, these occurrences give us cause for renewed worry and angst. College and university campuses, meant to be incubators of enlightenment and leadership, are once again being used as hotbeds for hatred and extremism. This begs the question: If our future leaders are being influenced, what kind of future is in store for Diaspora Jewry?
The theme of Holocaust Remembrance Day 2024
It is therefore very appropriate that at the heart of this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day is the theme “A Lost World: The Destruction of the Jewish Communities.” A profound acknowledgment of the devastation wrought upon the fabric of Jewish life by the effects of unchecked antisemitism. The Jewish community, a unique and autonomous social unit that characterized Jewish existence in the Diaspora for centuries, was dealt a fatal blow that devastated the lives and communities of thousands of pre-war Jews, many of which had formed the very bedrock of Jewish existence.
The rise of the Nazi Party and the establishment of German hegemony over Europe plunged Jewish communities into a reality of persecution and terror. The establishment of ghettos only served to further isolate entire communities, forcing these leaders to enforce Nazi decrees and assume duties formerly entrusted to governmental bodies. Finally, the ultimate campaign, the systematic extermination of Jews in Europe and North Africa, inflicted utter devastation upon thousands of communities, leaving behind a landscape of destruction and loss.
While the Oct. 7 massacres dealt a blow to our nation’s sense of security and serenity, the cruelties inflicted upon the Israeli-Jewish population did not mark another Holocaust. This nuanced reflection honors the individual lives of each tragedy.
Remembrance and education lie at the heart of a remedy for this disease known as antisemitism. That is why the annual memorial ceremony broadcast across the world in five languages including Arabic is so critical. The symbolic Memorial Torch, to be lit this year by Holocaust survivor and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council Rabbi Israel Meir Lau – someone who epitomizes triumph of the human spirit over adversity – must transcend into reality if we have any hope of fighting the scourge of antisemitism.
Additionally, the stories of the six torch lighters – Pninah Hefer, Allegra Gutta, Arie Eitani, Raisa Brodsky, Michael Bar-On, and Izi Kabilio – only serve to make the enormity of the atrocities more personal.
Yad Vashem’s commitment to commemoration extends beyond the confines of mere ceremonial remembrance. For the second year now, its partnership with the Our 6 Million organization seeks to personalize remembrance by allowing individuals to pay homage to specific victims by lighting a memorial candle bearing the names of the murdered victims.
Moreover, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, has launched an innovative initiative aimed at engaging individuals from diverse backgrounds to raise public awareness about the Holocaust. The Who Is Your Holocaust Hero? campaign invites international leaders, influencers, diplomats, and actors to personally connect with the Holocaust by sharing the story of an individual who serves as their Holocaust Hero. Participants are asked to record a short video clip, one to two minutes long, and share it on their social media platforms.
As the world pauses to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem reaffirms its commitment to preserving their memory and educating future generations about the importance of remembrance and tolerance.
Through solemn ceremonies, innovative initiatives, and ongoing campaigns, Yad Vashem honors the legacy of those who perished, ensuring that their stories endure as a beacon of hope and resilience for generations to come. ■