OSWIECIM, Poland – The virulent
antisemitism that led to the Holocaust is still rampant around the
globe today, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said
against the backdrop of Monday’s solemn commemoration of the 80th anniversary
of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration and death camp
Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In a fundamental way, he added, a common thread links
what happened at Auschwitz to the recent manifestations of Jew-hatred,
including the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel: the age-old hatred of
Jews. Antisemitism “had its willing supporters then, and it has them now,” said
Amb. Lauder, who also serves as chair of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial
Foundation and who has dedicated decades to preserving the site. “It was fed by
the indifference of people who thought they were not affected because they were
not Jewish.”
Amb. Lauder also stressed that antisemitic acts undermine
the central tenets of civil society.
“These attacks are not just targeting Jews,” he said. “They are an attack on
Judeo-Christian values, which are the bedrock of Western civilization.”
He delivered his remarks alongside four Auschwitz
survivors and Dr. Piotr Cywiński, director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial
Museum.
Tova
Friedman, an Auschwitz survivor, reflected on the resilience of the Jewish
people since the Holocaust, saying, “Instead our revenge has been to build a strong Jewish
country and raise our families in peace. Many of you here have your wonderful
families with you, just as I do. Eighty years after liberation, the world is
again in crisis. Our Jewish-Christian values have been overshadowed worldwide
by prejudice, fear, suspicion and extremism. and the rampant antisemitism that
is spreading among the nations it is shocking.”
The event, whose audience included 50 official
representatives from more than 50 nations, honored the memory of the victims,
highlighted the significance of Holocaust education and underscored the
unwavering commitment to combating antisemitism and hatred. The WJC delegation
comprised top organizational leadership, Jewish communal heads and a group of
survivors brought together by Amb. Lauder and organized and funded by the
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation and its Auschwitz 80 Committee.
The World Jewish Congress also commemorated the occasion
of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau
with a series of impactful initiatives.
As part of the World Jewish Congress’ annual #WeRemember campaign for
International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a global initiative to combat
Holocaust denial and distortion, Jewish communities, governments, sports clubs
and leaders of industry showed their support to ensure the memory of the
Holocaust is never forgotten. This year’s campaign featured the illumination of
iconic landmarks including the European Commission headquarters in Brussels and
the Bundestag in Berlin, as well as Israel’s Knesset, foreign ministry, the
Jerusalem city walls, and Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Center. Major landmarks in
Switzerland, Greece, and Czech Republic also took part. By projecting the
#WeRemember message or lighting buildings in yellow, these striking visual
tributes also signified solidarity against rising antisemitism.
The WJC also expanded its partnership with
UNESCO and TikTok to connect
millions of users with verified educational resources, including aboutholocaust.org. In 2024, more
than 4 million social media users visited the site. The campaign continues to
guide social media platforms to meaningfully address Holocaust distortion and
misinformation, and to ensure that younger generations engage with accurate and
accessible Holocaust educational resources.
The WJC Special Envoys & Coordinators
Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) Forum will convene on Tuesday,
Jan. 28, in Krakow, bringing together government officials and Jewish community
representatives to discuss how new technologies can help to combat antisemitism
and Holocaust distortion. The group will hold direct conversations with Meta,
TikTok and X about automated hate speech, the evolution of harmful content
following Oct. 7 and the role of Generative AI in addressing online hate.
About the World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.