Community Celebrations: Holocaust Remembrance Day

Established in 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly and observed on January 27 each year, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a time for the world’s citizens to reflect on the Holocaust and remember the six million Jewish lives lost to Nazi genocide in the Holocaust.

The day is marked by reading the names of the victims, lighting candles, and teaching/learning about the Holocaust. This year, Auschwitz survivor, Tova Friedman, spoke for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum about her experiences during the Holocaust and the implications of today’s rise in antisemitism. Watch the talk here.

For more survivor stories, you can check out the New England Holocaust Memorial website; here are some book recommendations for all ages:

Lily’s Promise is an intergenerational memoir shared by Lily Ebert, a Holocaust survivor, and her great-grandson, Dov Forman.

Number the Stars is a Newberry-Award-winning historical fiction novel from Lois Lowry about a family who takes in another member to protect her from being “relocated” by the Nazis.

Eleanor’s Story is a book and one-woman show about the experiences of an American girl in World War II Berlin.

While January 27 is a time for all citizens of the world to learn about the Holocaust and commemorate the lives taken, Yom Hashoah, which occurs on the 27th day of the month of Nisan (the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising), is a separate holiday for the Jewish community to commemorate the lives lost and learn/teach about the Holocaust within the community of faith. In 2024, this will fall on May 6.

How do you observe Holocaust Remembrance Day? Do you have any book, film, or other media recommendations to help your neighbors understand more about this important day? Share your stories with us by emailing hello@burlington.buzz, and your story could be added to this feature!

What are you celebrating or observing? Let us know at hello@burlington.buzz!