27 January 2021
Learn From The Past. Protect The Future.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
This January, use the hashtag #WeRemember to make sure the Holocaust is never forgotten.
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.
What can you do to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten?
- Write “We Remember” on a sheet of paper
- Take a photo holding your sign
- Share your photo on social media using #WeRemember
Take part in a virtual commemoration
25 Jan - 10am EST
"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
27 Jan - 9am EST
International Holocaust Remembrance Day -- Virtual Commemoration from Auschwitz
Hosted by the World Jewish Congress & Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum
How else can you support the campaign and honor the victims of the Holocaust?
Use the hashtag #WeRemember on social media
Hold a virtual or an in-person event with social distancing
Light a candle in remembrance
Visit a local Holocaust memorial or museum
Create an art project
Educate yourself about the facts at aboutholocaust.org
Share a survivor's story click here
About The #WeRemember Campaign
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.
- In Russia, the campaign quite literally reached new heights when the Russian Space Agency posted photos of two of their cosmonauts on the International Space Station.
- Across Europe, and particularly in Germany, political leaders of all levels and party affiliation joined in - including Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
- Faith-based groups took part including the Evangelical Church of Germany. Pope Francis even used the hashtag on Instagram.
- Diplomatic missions of Germany and other major countries joined in from as far away as Doha and Tokyo.
- Israel’s missions around the world also took part in full force.
- In Latin America, a cross section of society, from political leaders such as Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammetti, to the last remaining Holocaust survivors, took part.
- Across the United States and Canada, the conversation was constant, with many political leaders from the national, state/provincial, and local levels using the hashtag and many posting their own photos.
- Participation from the Middle East region was also significant, highlighted by photos from Omar Mohammed of the Mosul Eye blog, members of the Kurdish Jewish community, and residents of refugee camps in eastern Syria.
- Support from sport clubs on both sides of the Atlantic, such as AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea FC, Flamengo,Racing Club, and more, ensured that our message reached millions more
- Special initiatives from our friends at the Israel Premier League also helped to bring the message of remembrance to those watching matches and in front of television screens from Haifa to Be’er Sheva.
- And in the international community, United Nations ambassadors from more than a dozen countries came together to record a video underscoring the importance of remembrance; NATO held a commemoration event; official UN accounts shared our message; and our strong partnership with UNESCO provided the backbone needed to begin the long process of educating the world about the horrors of the Holocaust.
