Jan. 27 was an important day in our world’s history. In 2005, the United Nations declared Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Many Holocaust survivors are in their 80s and 90s. Their adult children and grandchildren are familiar with the horrors their loved ones endured. The legacy and impact of the Holocaust continue today.
Unfortunately, there are people who misuse the history of the Holocaust to make misinformed and harmful comparisons. Some engage in Holocaust denial. As the news reports a rise of antisemitic violence, I can imagine how painful it is for survivors and their loved ones to hear and witness this.
Please visit the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in Portland or the Holocaust Center for Humanity in Seattle to learn about the realities of this horrific time and its impact on global society. As the future leaders of our country, children need to learn about the relationship between power and leadership and how to care for each other. Hatred of the “other” must stop. My father witnessed the horrors as one of 27 physicians who entered Dachau at liberation and provided medical care for survivors.
