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On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the slaughter of six million Jewish lives lost in the Shoah. Women, men, children, and souls from whom the light was turned off forever.
But the Yom Hashoah should not be only about death. It's also about memory, millions of stories that should be shared with the world. And today, it should also be about celebrating life, as the Jewish people remain alive and strong, even after the tragedy, and that's what The Jerusalem Post's commemorative video showed.
Many people think that the Holocaust started in 1939, with the beginning of the Second World War. But the truth is that the roots of the tragedy were established years before, in 1933, when Adolf Hitler rose to power, convincing a whole German nation that the Jewish people were the state's main problem.
Over the years, the Nazi propaganda and Hitler's powerful speeches established an atmosphere of Jewish hate in Germany, leading to 1939, the beginning of the Second World War, and, consequently, the Holocaust.
The escalation of antisemitism led to the establishment of ghettos, where Jews were confined in overcrowded spaces, facing hunger, disease, and despair. Deportations followed, sending Jews to labor and death camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most perished.
Yet, Yom Hashoah is also about remembering Jewish life. Names, faces, and stories preserved in collections like Yad Vashem's "Living Memory" remind us of the vibrant culture stolen. Artifacts such as the surviving works of artist Klara Wertheimer and the Holy Ark from Siret's Great Synagogue keep these memories alive.
Even objects like the closet that saved young Genia Sznajder during the Holocaust stand as powerful symbols of survival and resistance. Yom Hashoah calls us to honor both the victims and the rich Jewish heritage lost, ensuring their memory endures for generations.
May their memories be a blessing.