On January 27, 2017, the international community marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This day, designated by the United Nations in 2005 as an international day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Holocaust, has become a fixture in the political and educational calendars in scores of countries the world over.

 

The theme chosen by the UN for the Holocaust remembrance and education activities in 2017, including the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, is “Holocaust Remembrance: Educating for a Better Future”.

 

As explained on the UN's special International Holocaust Remembrance Day web page, the theme emphasizes the universal dimension of Holocaust education as a platform for building respect for human rights, increasing tolerance and defending our common humanity. The Holocaust was a defining point in history and its lessons have much to teach about the danger of extremism and the prevention of genocide today.

 

 

 

 

Rejecting any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or in part, the General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/60/7) by consensus on November 1, 2005. The resolution condemns "without reserve" all manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief, whenever they occur.

 

The resolution declared that the United Nations would designate 27 January -- the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp -- as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, and urged Member States to develop educational programmes to instill the memory of the tragedy in future generations to prevent genocide from occurring again. It requested the United Nations Secretary-General to establish an outreach programme on the "Holocaust and the United Nations", as well as institute measures to mobilize civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education, in order to help prevent future acts of genocide.

 

The unanimous decision by the General Assembly to adopt a resolution and designate an annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day was the culmination of a focused Israeli diplomatic campaign at UN headquarters in New York and around the globe.

 

As the national homeland for the Jewish people, and in light of the fact that the majority of Holocaust survivors chose to settle in Israel after the Second World War, Israel holds a unique status in terms of remembrance and teaching about the Holocaust.

 

Since 1951, when national legislation was passed on the matter, Israel has marked its own Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day every spring (on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nissan), one week after the festival of Passover, exactly one week before Israel's Independence Day. The solemn day is marked with special ceremonies, the sounding of a siren, the closing of places of entertainment, and special educational and public awareness programmes.

 

 

In 2013, Israeli Education Minister Shai Piron announced that all Israeli schools will teach lessons about the Shoah in each of the 12 years of compulsory education, with materials suited to the different ages: six-year-olds for example, will discuss baseless hatred, tolerance for others and similar topics.

 

An ongoing and ever-evolving priority in Israeli Holocaust education remains the virtual realm: Resources in both national and a plethora of foreign languages, such as lesson plans, sample ceremonies, maps and guidelines, have been developed and are readily available on a number of websites of Israeli Holocaust organizations, and all the major organizations maintain a presence on the main social networks.

 

Aspects of Holocaust awareness and commemoration remain present throughout the entire Israeli academic year. Study trips to Poland have been made available to all 11th Graders by the Israeli Ministry of Education. Training courses in Israel and in Poland are also offered to soldiers and security personnel.

 

Israel is a founding member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), is an intergovernmental body established in 1998 and today made up of 31 Member Countries,10 Observer Countries, and 7 international partner organizations, whose purpose is to support and advance Holocaust education, remembrance, and research, both nationally and internationally.

 

 

In advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel formally adopted a definition of antisemitism based on the working definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance:

 

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

 

The definition acknowledges that manifestations of anti-semitism can also include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish Collectivity (criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country is not regarded as anti-semitic).