"History is not the study of the past, but of change," asserts one of the most renowned philosophers and historians of our time, the Israeli Yuval Noah Harari. On January 27, 1945, Allied troops entered the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp to liberate the few prisoners who had survived out of the 1,300,000 people - men, women, and children - who had passed through there. That day, history changed forever; finally, the horrors committed by Nazism against Jews, Roma, homosexuals, people with disabilities, political opponents, and other social groups were brought to light.
Shortly thereafter, first-person testimonies began to emerge, along with shattered families and entire villages vanished. Two-thirds of European Jewry had turned to ashes in just six years, the result of the worst systematic and massive massacre of people in modern history, stemming from one of the oldest and most entrenched social issues in the West: antisemitism.
The United Nations declared January 27 as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, aiming to promote that at least one day a year, the world honors the millions of lost souls and remembers the importance of being vigilant and alert to changes before it's too late.
On October 7, 2023, the world changed once again. The worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. A bloody and ruthless pogrom against families, women, youths, and children, innocent civilians who were peacefully sleeping in their homes, in the world's only Jewish state.
Since then, a door seems to have opened, unleashing the rise of expressions of antisemitism worldwide. In the media, in culture, in universities, on social media, and in the streets of Europe, North America, and also Latin America. In each region with its peculiarities, we can perceive the change. For millions of people around the world, life has not been the same since October 7.
What will we learn this time from history, from how changes occur, and from our role as active members of the societies where these events unfold? This is where the crucial importance of education and memory lies. By commemorating this day, we not only remember those who were brutally taken from this world by unfettered hatred, but we also reaffirm our commitment to a future where such atrocities cannot be repeated. Remembering the Holocaust is confronting the darkest shadows of humanity, recognizing that each of us bears the responsibility to build a more compassionate and just world.
The events of January 27, 1945, and October 7, 2023, are two points in history that stand out for their brutality and for the response they demand from us. While in 1945 the world woke up to the reality of genocide on an unimaginable scale, the 2023 attack painfully reminds us that the seeds of hatred and intolerance still thrive in our societies.
The commemoration of these dates should serve as a call to action. Merely passive remembrance is not enough; active participation in the fight against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination is required. Every gesture of solidarity, every act of education, every voice raised against injustice contributes to positive change.
In this regard, the role of educators, community leaders, the media, and every individual is fundamental. Holocaust education should not be limited to the mere transmission of historical facts; it should foster empathy, critical thinking, and ethical engagement. By educating the new generations, we not only transmit the memory of the past but also sow the seeds for a more tolerant and respectful future, working to ensure that a Holocaust never happens again.
Therefore, as we commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, let us do more than just remember. Let us commit to being vigilant, to educating against hatred, to promoting coexistence, and to always be willing to defend the values of humanity and justice. Only then can we ensure that the lessons of the past translate into actions for a better future. Let us remember that each day offers us a new opportunity to influence the course of history and that, in the words of Harari, it is our duty to understand and respond to those changes.
