"Liberty, Life and the Legacy of the Holocaust Survivors" - This year marks the 10th anniversary of the UN resolution which set January 27 as an international day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Holocaust, and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz.
The 2015 observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is centered on the theme "Liberty, Life and the Legacy of the Holocaust Survivors". This theme marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations.
The Holocaust was a turning point in history, which prompted the world to say "never again". The significance of
resolution A/RES/60/7 is that it calls for a remembrance of past crimes with an eye towards preventing them in the future.
On January 27, 1945, Soviet forces liberated the
Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, discovering the largest Nazi killing center in Europe. Auschwitz has become a symbol of the Holocaust, representing the depths of man's inhumanity to man.
In November 2005, the
United Nations passed a resolution to mark January 27 as an
international day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Holocaust, and urged member states to develop educational programs to impart the memory of this tragedy to future generations. More than 80 governments have legislated January 27 as an annual Holocaust Memorial Day and Holocaust remembrance ceremonies will be organized on the international, national, regional and local levels, including in universities and schools.
Over 90 Israeli missions abroad are taking part in organizing ceremonies and events to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day throughout the world, from Austria to Mexico, from Myanmar to Rwanda.
Click
here to read more about what happens around the world on this day.
This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.