The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps were liberated on January 27, 1945. In 2005, the UN General Assembly designated this date as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Part of what enabled the exploitation, torture, and murder of approximately 6 million Jewish people in the holocaust was the normalcy of antisemitism throughout the world. Bigoted views and pseudo-science impaired people’s empathy and sense of justice. Shamefully, this was true not just in international fascist organizations but also in mainstream societies.
While the Nazi regime was actively committing genocide, other nations were reluctant to accept Jewish migrants and slow to recognize and condemn the genocide.
Canada eventually stepped up to receive Jewish refugees but had to overcome its own antisemitic politicians and policies to do so. For some time during World War II, Jewish refugees were interned in prison camps in Canada. It was years before their legal status was clarified, and they eventually gained the option of immigrating to Canada.
The familiar refrain of “never again” is used in this context. Hate breeds hate and emboldens those who escalate to hate speech and violence.
Today, antisemitism is still a deadly threat. Polls show there are far too many people who aren’t adequately aware of the holocaust. Education and awareness of the holocaust are critical so that we might learn its hard lessons.
