The United Nations vows: “never forget, distort or deny”

A yearly gathering of the UN General Assembly commemorates victims of the Holocaust and reminds us that we must work harder to keep hatred at bay.

Attendants to the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust look up the names of relatives at the Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims, an exhibition from Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem museum on loan at the United Nations headquarters, New York, United States, 27 January 2023.

On January 27 in 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, a horrific Nazi concentration camp where 1.1 million Jewish men, women and children were murdered by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. In 2005, the United Nations marked the date with an annual remembrance — the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

Photojournalist Enrique Shore, a News Decoder correspondent, attended the ceremony. To Shore, the Day of Commemoration is equal in relevance and meaning to only the UN General Assembly meetings in September when heads of state come together from all over the world.

“The UN is a unique forum where all the countries in world can come together — even with strong disagreement and with all its imperfections and limitations there is no other better alternative,” Shore wrote. “To watch the UN Secretary-General António Guterres stress that ‘We must never forget, nor allow others to ever forget, distort or deny the Holocaust’ is important and core to the UN mission.”

The most moving moment in the ceremony, Shore wrote, was when attendants stood up in silence as Cantor Nissim Saal sung “El Maleh Rachamim,” a Jewish prayer for the soul of the departed. In the Jewish religion, a cantor is someone who traditionally leads a congregation in prayer.

The ceremony also included an address from Holocaust survivor Jacques Grishaver. As a baby, Grishaver was hidden by a non-Jewish woman in the Netherlands during German occupation. Grishaver is chairman of the Dutch Auschwitz Committee.

Shore wrote that it was impressive to watch people after the ceremony look up names of relatives in a massive “Book of Names” installation that was set up in the lobby near the entrance.

The Yad Vashem Book of Names of Holocaust Victims, is an exhibition from Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center on loan at the UN headquarters, that identifies and details 4.8 million confirmed victims of the Holocaust.

Yad Vashem Book of Names: The focal point of this event was the "Book of Names" installation, which is part of the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. This book serves as a poignant testament to the memory of Holocaust victims. It is a collection that identifies and provides details about 4.8 million confirmed victims of the Holocaust. This exhibition is a powerful way to ensure that the names and stories of these victims are not forgotten.

Jacques Grishaver's Address: The event included a speech by Jacques Grishaver, a Holocaust survivor who was hidden as a baby by a non-Jewish woman in the Netherlands during the German occupation. His survival story and subsequent role as the chairman of the Dutch Auschwitz Committee likely added a deeply personal and moving element to the ceremony. Grishaver's presence underscores the importance of remembering and learning from the Holocaust to prevent such atrocities from happening in the future.

Congregation in Prayer: The congregation in prayer signifies a collective and solemn remembrance of the Holocaust victims. Prayer is often a way for people to come together, reflect, and pay their respects to those who suffered and perished during this dark period in history. It's a powerful symbol of unity and empathy.

UN Headquarters: Holding such a ceremony at the United Nations headquarters highlights the global significance of Holocaust remembrance. The UN plays a crucial role in promoting peace, human rights, and preventing genocide, making it an appropriate venue for an event of this nature.