Last Friday marked the fifth year of the International Holocaust Memorial Day. Only five years ago the Israeli delegation at the United Nations brought forth the proposal to designate an international day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Nazi era. Members of the United Nations such as Canada, Australia, the European Union and Russia, lead by our great friend the United States, supported the proposal and accepted the establishment of the International Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th – the date that marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp during the Holocaust.

This year also marks the 100th birthday of Raoul Wallenberg. Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat serving in Hungry during World War II. He saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis by issuing protective passports and sheltering Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory. Wallenberg was detained and imprisoned by the Soviets in 1947 and was never heard from again.

This Holocaust Memorial Day we remember the Holocaust and its dire implications for the Jewish people with solemn prayer. We honor those who risked their lives to save our kind. We also look to our future and reiterate with strict resolve we will not allow such atrocities to happen again. Finally, we focus on our present and, unfortunately, realize the fight against anti-Semitism is far from over.

Across this nation and across the world people who deny the holocaust and, at the very least, minimize the holocaust reside in our midst. Iran is also spearheading a campaign of Holocaust denial. These people are outspoken and they aim to obliterate the Jewish State and the Jewish people.

In the coming week a national Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Conference will be held on the campus of University of Pennsylvania. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has been working very closely with Hillel and many other groups, including the Israel Action Network (IAN), to put on a response event featuring Alan Dershowitz.

Everyone reading this newsletter can participate virtually. Please join online for a live-streaming of the evening. Just click to www.livestream.com/jewishphilly at 7:30 p.m. (ET) tonight to be part of this evening of unity and community solidarity.

Together we can make a difference to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.