In Commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today, we reflect on the anniversary of the closure of Auschwitz and join those commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Jews across the world continue to face persecution and violence, yet their spirit and determination to persevere serve as an inspiration for all striving for a more just world.

Elie Weisel, author and Holocaust survivor, spoke to this in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 1968: "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must—at that moment—become the center of the universe."

May his words and the memory of the 6 million Jews and 11 million others killed during the Holocaust continue to harden our resolve for justice and our fight for equality for all people.