On January 27, 1945, Red Army forces arrived at the Auschwitz extermination camp and freed the thousands imprisoned there: a tiny minority of the camp's prisoners, the vast majority of whom were murdered.
The soldiers who broke into the camp were the first to be exposed to the horrors wrought by the Nazi extermination machine.
60 years later, in November 2005, the General Assembly of the United Nations decided that the day of the camp's liberation would be the date on which the International Holocaust Remembrance Day would be observed from then on.
This year we commemorate this Memorial Day in the midst of a war, which began with the greatest disaster that has occurred in the State of Israel since its founding.
Auschwitz camp, photo: Reuters
The events of Black Sabbath brought up for many of us the memory of the Holocaust, and the deep scars etched in our souls because of it.
This, even though everyone knows that any comparison will offend the historical reality of the two atrocities.
After all, the Holocaust happened at a time when we had no country, army, flag or anthem, and no disaster - no matter how terrible and horrifying - cannot be compared to the destruction of six million people in the face of the thundering silence of the world.
Furthermore, and to our horror, after this terrible massacre we witnessed a dramatic increase in anti-Semitic statements and attacks around the world.
These statements and attacks, of course, are not unprecedented historically.
The opposite is true - even though the Holocaust took place once and only, it was by no means the only manifestation of murderous violence directed against the Jewish people.
After all, anti-Semitism is a chronic disease, from which the Jewish people have been suffering the terrible consequences for generations.
And here, even nowadays it turns out that many find that at any time of distress and crisis it is easier to blame the Jews than, for example, Vladimir Putin or Bashar al-Assad.
How ironic is the fact that it is precisely on International Holocaust Day that we are required to protest against the United Nations, which was established against the backdrop of universal human shock from the horrors of the Holocaust, and that Shalim even initiated and devised this important day of remembrance. How terrible is the fact that since October 7 the vast majority of the organization's members choose to ignore , literally, from the crimes against humanity committed by the terrorists of Hamas - the acts of murder, abuse and sexual violence - and yet to convene the Security Council precisely to condemn Israel.
Cultivate Jewish identity
I find that the most important lesson to be learned from the conduct of the United Nations, and from the dramatic increase in manifestations of anti-Semitism in the world, is that the future of the State of Israel depends on the strength of Diaspora Jewry - and that the future of Diaspora Jewry depends on the strength and security of the State of Israel.
Volunteers and IDF soldiers, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Despite the differences in attitudes, customs and opinions, the destinies of all of us are intertwined and are one destiny.
It is important to remember this precisely now, after a period when it seems that the solidarity between us has eroded, and against the background of the deepening rift within Israeli society - and often also between it and the Jewish communities outside of it.
All the public opinion polls conducted in recent years testified that the affinity of the Jewish youth in the USA for Judaism and the State of Israel is eroding.
The terrible disaster that befell the State of Israel caused many to reconnect with their Jewish identity - but that was not enough.
The solidarity between us should always exist, not only in the presence of an enemy or disaster.
It is our duty to strive for it and nurture it, both in times of storm and terror and in times of peace and prosperity.
to get closer and closer
As the chairman of "We - The Museum of the Jewish People" I know that a prerequisite for the fight against anti-Semitism is the very existence of Jews and Jewish women who are proud of their heritage, and who are not afraid to stand up in the face of manifestations of anti-Semitism. The road to getting there begins with deepening the roots and establishing a strong Jewish identity. Since the outbreak of the war, the public in Israel has adopted The slogan "Together we will win". "Together" does not mean only those who live in the State of Israel. A real "Together" means the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewry together.
It is incumbent on each and every one of us - and not least on the State of Israel itself - to strengthen the connection between us and Diaspora Judaism, to be proud of its past and present achievements, to educate, learn and teach, to draw closer and closer.
The author is the chairman of the board of directors of ANU - the Museum of the Jewish People
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us