Politica
Remembering the Holocaust
January 27 is international remembrance for the Holocaust day. Can Google help us to never forget?
di Staff
During the Second World War, more than 6 million people were deliberately killed because of their religion, ethnicity, sexuality or because they had disabilities. Today it is our duty to remember them. It is in this spirit that UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon addressed the crowd congregated at Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue on Tuesday ahead of the international remembrance day commemorated across the world on January 27.
“It is a day to remember the dead, the millions who perished in the darkest chapter of human history. It is a day to celebrate the lives of those who survived. Above all, it is a day to speak out against those who would deny the Holocaust,” he said.
Never forget
A partnership between Google and Israel’s Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, has enabled the largest collection of Holocaust documents – including a vast archive of 130 thousand photographs – to go digital. But the real news are the tools that enable visitors to search, contribute stories and documents about family members who appear in the online archives. “Our vision is to connect Yad Vashem’s knowledge and information to modern technology so that we can bring it to youngsters,” says the archive’s chairman Avner Shalev.
Meanwhile in Europe …
On Tuesday, the European Parliament also commemorated the Holocaust with an event organised by European Jewish associations. The importance of remembrance was poignantly highlighted not only by a moving musical performance recounting the story of Alma Rose, a composer and conductor who established an orchestra in Auschwitz and died there in 1944, but also by the president of the European Jewish Congress. Moshe Kantor raised his concerns with Europe’s political move to the right, in particular with the far right Hungarian party, Jobbik.
“Parties like Jobbik stand in direct opposition to the values of the European Union that Hungary now presides over,” said Kantor, “ the EU presidency could be utilized as a great opportunity for Hungary to lead the way against all manifestations of extremism and hatred”.
This year’s international day focuses on the theme Women and the Holocaust: Courage and Compassion, and will pay tribute to the bravery and ingenuity of women who faced Nazi persecution with strength and dignity.
To find out more about disability and the Holocaust click here.
