By Jess Cohen, Co-Deputy Features Editor
The 27th of January marks Holocaust Memorial Day, a profoundly significant day dedicated to the commemoration of the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution. As the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the death camps where Nazis exterminated European Jews, the 27th of January serves as a particularly stark reminder of the Nazi regime’s unimaginable persecution of the Jewish people.
The Holocaust – or The Shoah in Hebrew – refers to the Nazis attempt to eradicate Europe’s Jewish population, as well as other minority groups including Roma, LGBTQ+ and disabled peoples. The Nazi regime’s path toward the extermination of Jews was a gradual process, unfolding over time and rapidly escalating to horrifying extremes.
At first, Jews were subject to public harassment, as well as relentless humiliation and degradation. From arrests and public humiliation, to forcing Jews to pose with or deface their ritual objects, the Nazis used these tactics to reinforce ideas about racial hierarchy and power. Shortly after, Polish Jews were confined to specific organised neighbourhoods, or ghettos, as they are now known. They were overcrowded, disease-ridden enclosed districts, where Jews were required to carry out forced labour for the German Reich. On the 9th of November 1938, Kristallnacht, or the Night of the Broken Glass as it is also known, signified a stark escalation in Nazi violence towards Jews, with thousands of shops, synagogues and homes burnt down, 100 Jews murdered and thousands more imprisoned.
In 1941, the Nazis constructed their first gas chamber and crematorium at Auschwitz, and by 1942, the systemic murder of Jews began. The devised plan, which was named by the Nazis, ‘The Final Solution to the Jewish Problem’, was executed through the creation and assembly of death camps, including Treblinka and Belzec. In these camps, individuals were divided into those who could work and those would be executed. By the end of the Holocaust, over a million people were deported to Auschwitz and perished there, and six million Jews were collectively exterminated over the course of the Second World War.
'The Holocaust is something that is still strange to Jewish communities today, it’s key that we keep this tradition of educating about the Holocaust alive.'
This is just a brief outline of some of the key inhumane acts of terror inflicted upon the Jewish population, underscoring the vital importance of remembering and commemorating the Holocaust. Rooted in explicit, horrific antisemitism, The Holocaust serves as a reminder of every kind of human rights violation.
In Epigram’s conversation with the president of the University of Bristol’s Jewish Society (JSoc), Jonah, he described Holocaust Memorial Day as providing an essential opportunity to ‘remember the atrocities that were committed in the past, so that we never forget the horrors that Jewish people, and many others, have felt.’ He also points out the importance of ‘sharing survivors’ testimonies so that we never let discrimination and prejudice reach the same extreme levels that we have witnessed in the past.’
Former JSoc president, Edgar, shared similar sentiments: ‘Teaching people who aren’t necessarily familiar with Jewish history about how recent and how devastating the Holocaust was, and how much it still impacts Jewish communities today, is so crucial. Fostering an inclusive environment, especially when you are speaking on a university campus, where so many diverse identities have come together, is imperative.’
Here in Bristol, various events are being held to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and honour Holocaust survivors. On Tuesday the 21st of January at 7pm, JSoc and History Society are collaborating to host an event where Hungarian Holocaust survivor, John Dobai, will share his testimony. This event will take place in Wills Memorial Building, and whilst tickets are free, they are in high demand so be sure to book beforehand.
Additionally, on Holocaust Memorial Day itself, the Holocaust Memorial Day Committee is hosting an event on the College Green where a variety of keynote speakers, including the Lord Mayor of Bristol, will be delivering thought-provoking keynotes. Everyone is welcome to attend – students, locals, those who know a lot about the Holocaust, and those who want to learn more.
As the president of JSoc, Jonah noted that ‘we as Jews have a duty to carry on sharing these stories, and I think it is important that we do. It’s also vital that we provide opportunities for non-Jews who might not know as much, to learn about what happened and to hear stories like us.’
Edgar also pointed out that whilst ‘the Holocaust is something that is still strange to Jewish communities today, it’s key that we keep this tradition of educating about the Holocaust alive. Engaging with it interactively, if you have a family heirloom or you know someone who died in a concentration camp, be proud to talk about that. That’s the way to keep it alive.’
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Holocaust Memorial Day serves as a vital reminder of the persecution endured by the Jewish people during the Holocaust, while also highlighting the ongoing prevalence of antisemitism in today’s world. While various things are being done here in Bristol to commemorate the day, it is essential that we continue to honour survivors by listening to their testimonies so that their legacies live on, and that we never forget the 6 million Jews mercilessly murdered during the Holocaust.
Featured Image: Epigram / Jess Cohen
For more information, visit the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust's website: https://hmd.org.uk