A day chosen by Jewish people, rather than the UN, to honour our victims.
Yom Hashoah
On November 1, 2005, the UN General Assembly designated January 27th as International Holocaust Remembrance Day to honour all victims of the Nazi regime. The date marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Red army in 1945. However, this date did not mark the end of the Holocaust; the rest of the camps were liberated over the following months. Additionally, about 7000 prisoners were left in the camp by the time it was liberated, as 60,000 had already been forced to leave on a "death march" on January 17th. This date was deliberately chosen to paint a picture of the Allies as "heroes," despite few countries being willing to accept Jewish refugees and ultimately save Jewish lives.
In contrast, Yom HaShoah Ve-Hagevurah (translating to “Day of (Remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism”) is the day chosen by Jewish people to honour our victims, selected by the Knesset on April 12, 1951. It occurs in April or May, as it is held on the 27th of Nisan (based on the Hebrew/Jewish calendar). This year, it started at sunset on April 17th. When the actual date of Yom Hashoah falls on a Friday, the state of Israel observes Yom Hashoah on the preceding Thursday. When it falls on a Sunday, Yom Hashoah is observed on the following Monday.
This date was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which began on April 19, 1943 and lasted 27 days. This year marks the 80th anniversary of this act of resistance and revolt by hundreds of Jews in the largest Jewish ghetto in German-occupied Europe. This was the largest uprising by Jews during World War II and the first significant urban revolt against German occupation in Europe.
And so, this day commemorates both the lives and (often ignored) heroism of the 6 million Jewish people who died in the Holocaust.
Note: Roma people were the other main group targeted by Nazis for total annihilation (although there are many other groups that were victims of the Nazi regime). Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, or Roma Genocide Remembrance Day, takes place on August 2 to commemorate the 250,000-500,000 Roma and Sinti people murdered. This date was chosen because on the night of 2 – 3 August 1944, 2,897 Roma, mostly women, children and elderly people, were killed at Auschwitz. Some countries have chosen to commemorate the genocide (The Porrajmos, or, ‘the Devouring’) on different dates. |
What Was the Holocaust?
The Holocaust, or Shoah (Hebrew for “catastrophe”), was the systematic, state-sponsored genocide of the Jewish peoples between 1933 and 1945 across Europe and the MENA region by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. Nazi leaders used the 'Final Solution to the Jewish Question' as a euphemism for this mass murder.
Although various groups were persecuted by the Nazis and considered victims of the Nazi regime, Jewish and Roma peoples were the only groups targeted for total annihilation, and thus are the victims of the Holocaust.
Why Jews?
Antisemitism is often referred to as the world's oldest hatred, so the hatred that motivated Nazis didn't come out of nowhere, nor has it gone away since.
Despite what a popular television personality may say, the Holocaust was about race. Nazis racialized the Jewish people, meaning that despite Jewish people not being a race (instead an ethnoreligion), Nazis considered them to be "racially inferior." Even conversion wouldn't be enough, as they believed "Jewish blood" to be a threat. Religion was largely irrelevant to them.
This ideology of Jews being a race emerged in the late 19th century when eugenics grew in popularity, and combined with existing tropes, strengthened antisemites in their recruitment.
Defining Antisemitism
In 2016, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted the working definition of antisemitism:
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
They go on to provide examples, some of which include:
Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions
Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)
Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor
Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel
Note: This definition is the most widely accepted definition of antisemitism by Jewish people and endorsed by every mainstream Jewish organization around the world. Nothing about this definition or examples should stifle the fight for Palestinian liberation, as it does not define criticisms of Israel to be inherently antisemitic, because they aren't, when it's actual criticism. |
Holocaust Distortion and Denial
Despite the Holocaust being one of the best documented events in history, many people believe in Holocaust denial, which does not always involve outright denial of the Holocaust occurring, and may stem from antisemitism or just ignorance.
Note: Antisemitism is not limited to one side of the political spectrum, all forms of Holocaust denial can be perpetuated by anyone.
Examples:
"Murder of 6 million Jews didn't occur"
"Nazis had no official policy or intention to exterminate Jews"
"Jews didn't defend themselves"
"Deaths in camps were all related to disease, not policy"
"Anne Frank's diary was forged"
Comparing the systematic extermination of all Jews to a territorial and political conflict that started and persists due to the failure of others to recognize the Jewish right to self-determination (Arab rejectionism)
An Intro to Antisemitic Tropes
'The Holocaust didn't start with gas chambers, it started with words, spreading misinformation that demonizes Jews. And while the wording may differ, the tropes remain the same when it comes to right and left wing antisemitism today. While the right may appear more blatantly hateful, the left disguises it as "social justice." This gets Jews killed too.
Here is a very brief overview (full post coming soon) on some of the most common antisemitic tropes and conspiracies + associated dog whistles:
Dog Whistles + Associated Theories
World Domination/Control: The Goyim Know/Shut It Down, Rothschilds, ZOG, Soros, new world order, the cabal, WEF, (((Zionists))), Zio, globalists, cosmopolitan elite, invisible enemy, QAnon, Illuminati, lizard people
Criticizing Soros for his politics or actions for example is not inherently antisemitic, but can become harmful when he is used as a symbol for Jewish control, wealth, and power
Blood Libel: Bloodthirsty, Christ killers. May also be associated with organ harvesting, "the deadly exchange," and/or deicide
Wealth and Greed: Jew down, the Rothschilds, Soros
Dual Loyalty: Jewish interests, globalists
False Identity: "not the real Jews" / "the real Jews," Khazar Theory, Black Hebrew Israelites (NOT the same as Black Jews, who are valid)
Holocaust Related: 6MWE, 88, Holohoax
Misc: 109 or 110, (((echo))), the wandering Jew, Holocough
Most conspiracy theories have antisemitic origins, and just about every major event in history has been blamed on Jews (any kind of war or pandemic). But the concept of "the Great Replacement" (a white genocide conspiracy theory that puts the blame on Jews, as usual) highlights the importance of including antisemitism when discussing white supremacy; they are inseparable. Ignoring one while discussing the other is a major disservice to all. Many mainstream anti-racists still have much work to do when it comes to understanding antisemitism. |
The Jewish Population Today
The global Jewish population has still not recovered from the horrors of the Holocaust. In 1939, the global population of Jewish people worldwide peaked at around 16.6 million. After 6 million killed, there are now around 15 million Jews around the world today, making up just 0.2% of the world's population. Over 80% of all the world's Jews live in Israel and the United States, with millions living in each country. The countries with next highest populations of Jews each have less than half of a million Jews living there, but include France, Canada, and the UK.
As of 2021, 335,295 Jews live in Canada, making up 1.4% of the Canadian population. The majority of Canadian Jews (nearly 50%) live in Toronto, Ontario. |
The Jewish Diaspora looked quite different prior to 1948, as over 60% of the Jewish population living in Europe had been murdered, but there also used to be a significant amount of Jews living in other countries in the MENA region, outside of modern day Israel/Palestine. However, contrary to popular belief, Jews didn't experience peace in the MENA region before 1948 (dhimmitude, pograms, etc), or after. Since 1948, they have been ethnically cleansed, as their property and belongings were confiscated and the anti-Jewish pogroms and decrees continued.
For example, in 1948, there were 150,000 Jews living in Iraq. Today, that number falls to just 4. Similarly, Egypt had 75,000 Jews in 1948, with now less than 10, Yemen with less than 32 from 55,000, and Libya having 0 Jews left compared to 38,000 in 1948.
Do’s and Don’ts:
Learn More About Antisemitism
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
www.holocaustremembrance.com/
Yad Vashem
www.yadvashem.org/
The United States Holocaust Museum
www.ushmm.org/
Anne Frank House
www.annefrank.org/en/
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
www.auschwitz.org/en/
Montreal Holocaust Museum
museeholocauste.ca/en/
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
www.hmd.org.uk/
Simon Wiesenthal Center
www.wiesenthal.com/
Anti-Defamation League
www.adl.org/
American Jewish Committee
www.ajc.org/resources/antisemitism
References
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Against Holocaust Distortion. (2023). Holocaust denial and Holocaust distortion: An introduction. Retrieved from https://www.againstholocaustdistortion.org/news/holocaust-denial-and-holocaust-distortion-an-introduction
American Jewish Committee. (2021). The Translate Hate Glossary. Retrieved from https://www.ajc.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2021-10/AJC_TranslateHate-Glossary-October2021.pdf
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Gessen, M. (2021). The historians under attack for exploring Poland’s role in the Holocaust. The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-historians-under-attack-for-exploring-polands-role-in-the-holocaust
Harkov, L., & Siegal, T. (2021). EU study finds incitement in Palestinian textbooks, kept from public. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved from https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/eu-study-finds-incitement-in-palestinian-textbooks-remains-unpublished-670505
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Jewish Virtual Library. (2018). Fact sheet: Jewish refugees from Arab countries. Retrieved from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-refugees-from-arab-countries
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