Calgarians mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Global News
The Calgary Jewish Federation aims to educate people on the 77th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
January 27 marks the 77th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp where more than a million people were murdered.
The Calgary Jewish Federation (CJF) is marking the event by hosting a webinar focused on combating anti-Semitism. CJF Vice President Lisa Libin said it is an ongoing issue.
“Sadly it’s an endless job,” said Libin. “We’re continuing to see anti-Semitism rates rise both locally and internationally. We’re seeing an increase in the percentage of people who know very little or nothing at all about the Holocaust.”
International Holocaust Remembrance Day comes at a time when some people are comparing COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the conditions of the Holocaust.
The yellow star — the same symbol used to identify the Jewish community during the Holocaust — can be seen worn at protests across the world.
“It’s a ridiculous, disgusting and ignorant comparison,” explained Libin. “The fact that people think that this is acceptable shows how much work we still have to do.”
Libin thinks that work starts with educating students about the Holocaust at a younger age but the data shows that is not happening.
A study commissioned by Canadian charity Liberation75 showed that a third of Canadian and American students question whether the Holocaust actually happened.
