Saturday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the U.N.-designated day to remember the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany during World War II.
The date, January 27, marks the day in 1945 in which Auschwitz-Birkenau — the largest Nazi death camp — was liberated by Soviet troops. More than 1.1 million people were killed at Auschwitz — the majority of them Jews — but also Roma, Sinti and Poles, as well as other minorities.
The date was formally established in November 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly, following resolution 60/7, which marked the day to commemorate all victims of the Holocaust and to bolster international education to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and prevent future genocides.
Currently, there are approximately 245,000 Holocaust survivors in the world, spread across 90 countries. Almost half of these survivors — 119,300 — live in Israel, according to the Claims Conference, which seeks damages for survivors of the Holocaust.
Many Israelis compare massacre to Holocaust
This day is observed in many ways, but some of the most common ways to commemorate the lives lost in the Holocaust is to light candles in the victims’ honor, read their names at commemoration sites, and to learn more about the history of the Holocaust, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Although this is a global date to remember the Holocaust, many countries have other designated remembrance days, such as Israel which also celebrates Yom HaShoah on May 5 and 6.
Many people in Israel compare the genocide of the Holocaust to the October 7 Hamas massacre, in which more than 1,200 Jews were murdered and more than 240 were taken hostage — the largest single-attack loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on Friday in which he condemned the October 7 Hamas attack and outlined his administration’s plans to combat a rise in antisemitism that has occurred since the attack.
“In the aftermath of Hamas’s vicious massacre, we have witnessed an alarming rise of despicable antisemitism at home and abroad,” Biden said. “We cannot remember all that Jewish survivors of the Holocaust experienced and then stand silently by when Jews are attacked and targeted again today.”
In the statement, Biden discussed actions the White House has taken to address this rise in antisemitism, referencing its 2023 National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, which calls for improved education and research, providing security for Jewish communities, fighting antisemitism online and forging multi-faith partnerships.
Holocaust survivors tell their stories
In Washington, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is hosting a commemoration event on Friday and Saturday. During the event, visitors will be able to read the names of victims in the Hall of Remembrance, engage with Holocaust survivors and watch a special episode of the “Stay Connected Live” series, which is a Holocaust remembrance program produced by the museum.
On Friday, a United Nations Holocaust Memorial Ceremony was hosted by Melissa Fleming, U.N. under secretary-general for global communications. During the event, Holocaust survivors shared testimonies and other guest speakers commemorated the day.
“We have seen an outburst of antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry around the world. Every one of us must resolve to stand up against the forces of hate, discrimination and division,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his opening remarks.
Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Gilad Erdan gave remarks as well, saying, “Today is not only a day of remembrance; this day was designated to also prevent future acts of genocide — to internalize the lessons of the Holocaust.”
In his remarks, Erdan expressed frustration with the United Nations, saying, “To this day, no U.N. institution has condemned the October 7 massacre. It’s shocking.”
Early this month, South Africa recently brought a charge of genocide to the U.N.’s International Court of Justice over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. In a preliminary ruling Friday, the court declined to order Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza but said Israel must do all it can to prevent genocide in the embattled territory.
Israel launched an offensive against Hamas in Gaza after the October 7 attack. The Gaza health authority says more than 26,000 Palestinians have died since then.
Israeli leaders have rejected accusations of genocide, saying its offensive is targeted at Hamas, not civilians.
Some material from this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.