The opening Ceremony of the exhibition of Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center “Shoah: How Is It Humanly Possible” took place on Wednesday, the 5th of February 2020, at the Pancyprian Gymnasium Museums in Nicosia.
The exhibition is hosted in Cyprus on the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, presented by the Embassy of Israel in Cyprus, in cooperation with the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth.
Among the distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony were the Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth Prodromos Prodromou, DISY President Averof Neophytou, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar, Ambassadors and other officials. The ceremony took place in the presence of Greek Jewish Holocaust Survivor Ms Lola Angel.
In his address to the audience, Ambassador of Israel in Cyprus Mr Sammy Revel stressed that "the Holocaust is the darkest chapter of Human History and it is very important for the new generation to learn about the consequences of Antisemitism and Racism. In view of the
growing current threats, remembrance of the Holocaust is fundamental, and we have to work tirelessly against the dangers of Antisemitism, racism and
xenophobia."
Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth Mr Prodromou stressed that "in
an era when Holocaust deniers are on the increase and the supporters of right-
wing extremism are looking for scapegoats, it is the responsibility of this
Ministry, and of each one of us individually, to recall in memory this tragic
event, to learn from it and to become a barrier against any kind of hatred."
The Headmaster of the Pancyprian Gymnasium Mr. Loizos Sepos explained that the "Holocaust concerns the Jews in a distinctive way,
but it also concerns all of us, the civilized humans, because it sets our moral
consciousness under constant test and helps us to realise that remaining passive is not an ethically neutral
attitude, because it allows the evil to continue unhindered."
Greek Holocaust Survivor Ms Lola Angel shared her experience on how she and her family were put on a train with people packed atop each other in the wagon, en route to Bergen-Belsen. She also described the experience of surviving in a Nazi camp. "They stacked us in wagons like animals. Many didn't make it. I survived, but I will never forget allo those who perished in those inhumane camps," Ms Angel said.