On Jan. 27, 1945, Soviet troops reached the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, liberating the roughly 7,000 remaining individuals in one of the largest Nazi execution facilities, too late to save the more than 1 million people who had already been killed.

Born of one of the darkest chapters in humanity, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established by the United Nations in 2005, honours the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. It is a day of mourning, reflection, and learning, as well as commitment to acknowledging the perils of antisemitism, past and present.

“We should never lose sight of the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, the legacy of harm to Jewish communities, and the lessons derived from this tragedy,” says Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “We must not allow our vigilance against extremism and violence to wane with the passage of time. It is incumbent on us all to confront and reject all forms of hatred, antisemitism, and racism.”

There are several opportunities for people in Kingston and at Queen’s to engage in learning and reflection around International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Hillel Queen's will begin Holocaust Education Week on Jan. 29, which will include several educational events. Follow Hillel Queen’s on Instagram for details.

In 2022, Beth Israel opened L’dor Vador: From Generation to Generation, an exhibit featuring the stories of 10 families who survived the Holocaust and settled in Kingston. Tours of the exhibition can be booked on the Beth Israel website.

On Jan. 25, the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity (CSDD) organized an event titled "Holocaust Distortion as a New Form of Holocaust Denial: the Case of Poland." Hosted by CSDD director, Oded Haklai, the lecture, part of the Contemporary Antisemitism Series, featured Professor Jan Grabowski from the University of Ottawa’s Department of History.

On the same day, the City of Kingston illuminated City Hall in yellow, honouring the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

More than 6 million Jewish women, children, and men were murdered between 1933 and 1945. Upon their arrival at Auschwitz in 1945, Soviet troops discovered warehouses filled with shoes, eyeglasses, suitcases, pots, pans and more, among many possessions of those killed or held captive inside the camp.

“If we are to build communities of mutual respect, we must understand and learn from our histories,” says Stephanie Simpson, Vice-Principal (Culture, Equity, and Inclusion). “By taking the time to understand the experiences of people and communities harmed by injustice, we become better informed and strengthened in our resolve to stand up to injustice.”

For more information on the Holocaust and Auschwitz, visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum site, Toronto Holocaust Museum, Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, Canadian Society for Yad Vashem, and Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre.