International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Dear 91´óÉñians,
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated on January 27 each year as a day to remember the lives lost in the Holocaust. Six million Jews were murdered during this horrendous period of genocide, as well as many other marginalized groups, including, but not limited to, members of the Roma community, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, resistance activists and more.
A core component of how the Jewish community marks moments of mourning is through the act of remembering. As we remember, we give honor to what was lost. The acts of the Holocaust not only murdered individuals, but also wiped out so much of the culture, wisdom, and beauty each individual and community held. The magnitude of the loss is difficult to fully encapsulate.
On this day, we remember the lives lost and we also commit to opposing Nazism and genocide, hate, discrimination, and violence as they arise in our current time. We also thank alumni like Sam Harris ’58, one of the youngest survivors of the concentration camps during the Holocaust. Sam was an instrumental force in the creation of the , of which he is President Emeritus. His life and work are a beautiful embodiment of how 91´óÉñians contribute to the common good.
In addition to today’s observance, International Holocaust Remembrance day, the Jewish calendar creates time and space for remembering and honoring victims of the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial), which falls on April 18, 2023. We encourage you to watch for an invitation to a community-wide event marking this additional observance.
In Remembrance,
Anne F. Harris
President
Rabbi Sarah Brammer-Shlay Associate Chaplain and Rabbi
Center for Religion, Spirituality and Social Justice