O

ver eight decades ago, liberation was found after the Allies in World War II pushed through the Axis Powers and took back much of Europe, albeit, it was too late to save over 6,000,000 Jewish lives.

Yesterday, the world ackowledged Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, a period of remembrance for the lives cut short as part of the Holocaust. This pause to remember began Wednesday evening, and lasted throughout yesterday. 

“As we commemorate Yom HaShoah, we remember and mourn the millions of lives senselessly taken from us during the Holocaust,” Betty Rosa, NYS Commissioner of Education said. “We recall, as well, the righteous and the brave who risked everything to resist the evils of the Nazi regime. It is incumbent on all of us who seek a just and civil society to teach our children about the atrocities of the past. Evil can be defeated, but only through education and informed resistance. The great Elie Wiesel – a Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate, and author – spoke often about the importance of remembering the lives lost in the Holocaust, instructing us that, “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” 

L’dor vador is an ancient concept from Judaic scripture that means “from generation to generation.” This short phrase beautifully expresses the sacred obligation to pass on our knowledge, traditions, and values from one generation to the next. We are all responsible for remembering the past, learning from our mistakes, and building a better tomorrow for future generations. 

May the memories of all who perished in the Holocaust be a blessing.” 

The entire time is meant to place a focus on the stories of survivors, hold memorial services for those who lost their lives to the unjust killing of Jewish people and engage in educational programs so that the promise “never again” is kept. 

But the attempt to keep the importance remembering the Holocaust and the repercussions of what transpired within those concentration camps is something that could and should persist past any designated day. When we remember tragedy, we can prevent future evils from happening to anyone, anywhere. We encourage everyone, Jew and Gentile, to continue to reflect on the past. It is a major part of our shared history as humans, and will never, ever not be relevant.