27 January 2021
This past year has been difficult for us all - and has shown us why Holocaust education is needed now more than ever. While confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a rise in hateful and racist ideologies around the world. False conspiracy myths about minority groups are spreading like wildfire. Social media platform are being overrun with harmful content. It can all feel overwhelming for many. Even frightening.
January 27, 2020 marked 75 years since the Allied troops arrived at the gates of Auschwitz, but it is clear that the story of how they came to be there in the first place must be shared more widely. The Holocaust -- the murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators -- didn’t occur in a vacuum. It was the product of unchecked hatred and collective silence.
Now, more than ever, we must join together to remember the past, to build a better future for all.
"Lest We Forget" - Exhibition Opening & Virtual Commemoration from Paris
Hosted by the World Jewish Congress, UNESCO, the Permanent Missions to UNESCO of the European Union, Austria, Germany, and France, and the Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France (CRIF)
English/French
International Holocaust Remembrance Day -- Virtual Commemoration from Auschwitz
Hosted by the World Jewish Congress & Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum
Now in it's fifth year, #WeRemember Campaign has become the world's largest online Holocaust memorial initiative. On 27 January 2020, we reached new levels, becoming the #1 trending topic on Twitter in countries including Germany and Canada, and the fourth most talked about topic on twitter globally with more than 270,000 total tweets recorded.
This outpouring of support, but, more importantly, this much needed dialogue and reflection about the Holocaust, didn’t happen by itself. It was only made possible thanks to the support and dedication of our partners and people around the world. Here are just a few of the many outstanding stories from 2020.