Commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Regional Communities

Every year on January 27, events are held worldwide to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This date was established by a UN Resolution of November 21, 2005 (Resolution No. 60/7), commemorating the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by Soviet troops on this day in 1945.

In 2016, the World Jewish Congress, in cooperation with UNESCO, initiated the annual #WeRemember campaign to commemorate this day. Under this initiative, heads of state, politicians, opinion leaders, celebrities, executives, and activists of Jewish organizations, as well as Jews and non-Jews worldwide, unite to preserve historical memory and educate the public on the atrocities of the Holocaust.

The State of Israel also hosts numerous official commemorative events on this day, emphasizing the vital importance of preserving the memory of the Shoah.

On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress hosted the online premiere of the film "263 Nights" on its media platforms. The film tells the story of 26 people who hid from the horrors of the Nazi occupation in a dug-out basement for 263 days and nights. It is a story of human resilience, the struggle for survival, personal heroism, sacrifice, and the horrors of World War II.

"Even during such challenging times for the world, it is crucial to remember the Holocaust, and to do so with the utmost responsibility. On one hand, those tragic events must serve as a warning and a profound lesson regarding the devastating consequences of hatred. On the other hand, we must not allow the memory of this horrific war to be trivialized or instrumentalized for political ends—to justify current political agendas. Regrettably, some global politicians continue to make inappropriate references to the Holocaust and draw contrived historical parallels," stated EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov in his opening remarks before the premiere. 

Jewish communities and organizations across the Euro-Asian region traditionally participate actively in Israeli and international initiatives, as well as conducting their own programs and projects dedicated to Holocaust remembrance.

The EAJC Press Service presenting a digest of these events:

The "Sefer" Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization will publish recordings of its 2021 webinars on Holocaust history, the role of Jews in World War II, and the cultural heritage of Soviet Jewry on its social media platforms during the first week of February (January 31 to February 5). The curriculum covers themes such as Jews in the Red Army (1941-1945), the history and leadership of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, research on the Shoah in the broader context of European and Jewish history, and Holocaust events on Soviet territory. The lectures are delivered by prominent Israeli and Russian scholars.

The Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities (UBJPAC) is holding several official remembrance events and ceremonies across the country. On January 17 and 25, a film about the Jewish resistance was officially screened in Minsk and Vitebsk. On January 26, a memorial service featuring former ghetto prisoners was held in the capital of Belarus. The following day, January 27, a ceremony honoring the Righteous Among the Nations of Belarus took place in Vitebsk. In addition, a special exhibition dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day was officially opened at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Minsk. The Jewish communities of Slutsk, Soligorsk, and Bobruisk hosted an exhibition dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II.

The Jewish Community of Kazakhstan marked Remembrance Day on January 27 by hosting an exhibition by the "Holocaust" Research and Educational Center in the Round Hall of the House of Friendship in Almaty. The official ceremony, which featured the #WeRemember campaign, included addresses by Alexander Baron, President of the Jewish Community of Kazakhstan; Edwin Nathan Yabo Glusman, Ambassador of Israel to Kazakhstan; Marat Azilkhanov, Head of the Secretariat of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan; EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, alongside other high-ranking diplomats, politicians, scholars, and public figures.

The Project Kesher International Jewish Women’s Organization is conducting commemorative events across Russia during the Holocaust Memorial Week. The program features annual exhibitions, educational school sessions, conferences and roundtables involving scholars and public figures, concerts, and award ceremonies for Holocaust survivors, alongside wreath-laying ceremonies at Holocaust memorials.

Project Kesher in Ukraine also joined the #WeRemember campaign, dedicating its media resources to educational content about the tragedies of the Shoah and the significance of Remembrance Day.

Members of the Moscow Jewish Community House (MJCH) visited the Central Cinema House in Russia for a screening of the films "Lakhva. The Price of Freedom" and "263 Nights" (produced with the support of the EAJC) by the "Vladimir Bokun Workshop" historical film studio.

As part of the #WeRemember campaign, Hillel CASE published a selection of films dedicated to the Holocaust on its social media platforms.

JCC Tbilisi, the Jewish Community Center in the capital of Georgia, held a special event at the National Library of Georgia on January 27, organized in partnership with the Parliament of Georgia, the Embassy of Israel, and the Jewish Cultural and Educational Foundation. The event was attended by prominent Georgian politicians, diplomats, officials, and public figures. On January 30, a special memorial evening was held at the Jewish House in Tbilisi, bringing together members of the Georgian Jewish community, the Jewish Cultural and Educational Foundation, and university students. Attendees watched a short film about Auschwitz survivors, followed by poetry and prose recitals performed by actors from the "Shir" musical studio of the Jewish Cultural and Educational Foundation and the Griboyedov Drama Theatre studio. To conclude the evening, Rabbi Avimelech Rosenblatt recited the "Yizkor" prayer, and participants lit memorial candles in honor of the victims of the Holocaust.

The Jewish Community of Kyrgyzstan supported the global #WeRemember campaign by collecting family photographs of its community members. A memorial ceremony and community gathering took place on January 27 at the "Memorial Stone" in the village of Sretenka, Moskovsky District. In addition, the ChGES Jewish School Center organized a memorial lesson titled "We Remember" for high school students, which included a screening of the film "Sretenka, My Sorrow...".

The Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova traditionally organized several memorial events across the country ahead of January 27. As part of the #WeRemember campaign, themed posters were displayed at public transport stops in Chisinau and on the media platforms of the community and its partners. Official addresses from foreign ambassadors were published on the community's platforms. Memorial rallies were held at Holocaust monuments in Balti (January 26), Chisinau, Tiraspol, Dubasari, Bender, Cahul, Orhei, Soroca, and other regions of Moldova (January 27). The first Jewish History Museum in Orhei is scheduled to open on January 30 in a former synagogue building. Furthermore, US State Department Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Cherry Daniels visited Moldova on January 29–30. From January 23 to February 15, representatives of the Jewish community actively participated in television and radio programs, school lectures, and other educational activities. The commemorative events will conclude with a presentation of the joint initiative between the Moldovan Jewish Community and the ESJF European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative, aimed at restoring and preserving Jewish cemeteries across Moldova.