by Rafaela Prifti/
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed today in several countries.Marking the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 an annual day of commemoration for its member states, in early 2000s. To honor the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and victims of Nazism, countries hold national commemoration ceremonies. Notably, Holocaust denialism and antisemitic incidents have been on the rise in the US as well as around the globe.In a statement, President Biden said that the world has an obligation to honor victims, learn from survivors, pay tribute to rescuers and carry on the lessons of the Holocaust. To mark the day, President Biden has invited Auschwitz survivor Bronia Brandman to share her story at the White House, according to a press release.The event speaks directly to the significance of education on this particular topic and history in general, as there is a renewed push in many states to dictate how schools teach subjects pertaining to race. On that note, President Biden remarked that earlier this month U.S. co-sponsored a United Nations resolution tasking the global community with combating Holocaust denial through education.President Biden called it “imperative to teach accurately about the Holocaust and push back against attempts to ignore, deny, distort, and revise history,” and “that from the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, to a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, we are continually and painfully reminded that hate doesn’t go away; it only hides. And it falls to each of us to speak out against the resurgence of antisemitism and ensure that bigotry and hate receive no safe harbor, at home and around the world.”In today’s remarks, Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said, in part, that “To remember is also to look to the future. The European Commission is committed to fighting antisemitism and fostering Jewish life everywhere in Europe.”One of today’s events include the U.N. Holocaust Memorial Ceremony livestreamed worldwide. Additional information and educational resources as well as a complete calendar of Remembrance ceremonies are available on the UN website and the UN Holocaust Museum website.