International Holocaust Remembrance Day - Jan 27th 2024
The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
This annual day of remembrance was established to honour the six million Jews, as well as millions of victims from other groups, that perished during the Holocaust. What began as the spread of disinformation and hate speech, led to the support of systemic injustice, discrimination and marginalization, and eventually ended with genocidal killing. This day is a reminder of our collective responsibility to stand up to and counter all forms of hate.
The United Nations calls on individuals to hold memorial services and undertake educational initiatives to learn more and help prevent such genocides from occurring in the future.
In the face of an alarming rise in antisemitism around the globe, it is more important than ever to recognize the critical lessons of the Holocaust and prevent history from repeating itself.
Suggested Resources (not a complete list), Lesson Plans, and Classroom Activities: (D13 Jewish Advisory Committee)
Frequently Asked Questions About the Holocaust (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
*Common questions and answers
Holocaust Lesson Plans (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
*A collection of lessons for various grade levels
Resources Marking Liberation of Auschwitz (Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre)
*A vast collection of online artefacts about Auschwitz-Birkenau: the largest Nazi concentration camp, which saw the extermination of over
1 million Jews
*Includes educator guides and suggested lesson plans
Survivor Stories (Montreal Holocaust Museum)
*A collection of Canadian Holocaust survivor stories
Lidice & Lezaky: their stories through stamps (for PBS by By Paul Weiser, Mandel Fellow of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
*A lesson exploring the historical reality of the massacres that occurred in the villages of Lidice and Lezaky, Czechoslovakia, in 1942 through the use of stamps commemorating the events.
Confront Anti Semitism (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum):
*A resource intended to bring students’ attention to the ongoing problem of anti-Semitism faced by Jews around the world and how they can help become part of the solution to end it
Teaching Materials on Anti Semitism and Racism (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
*A collection of teaching materials provided
Old Hatred, New Paradigms: Combating Antisemitism in the Twenty-First Century (Facing History and Ourselves)
*A collection of resources designed to help educators integrate the study of traditional and contemporary antisemitism into their efforts at combating prejudices and stereotypes in the classroom.
Combating Antisemitism (Liberation75)
*Educator’s Toolkit: collection of lessons by grade level
*Virtual Library: extensive collections of videos free for viewing
