The Jewish Confederation of Brazil (CONIB) and the Jewish Federation of Sao Paulo (FISESP), together with KKL Brazil and other community institutions, organized an event to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27) in the Paulistana Jewish community building (CIP).
The United Nations determined that January 27 marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This date was chosen because it is the day that the Auschwitz death camp was liberated by the Red Army. The decision notes the murder of the Jews and other minorities during the Holocaust.
The ceremony at Sao Paulo was organized to honor the memory of the survivors, and to remember the cruel events that took place in order that they will never happen again, particularly now, when anti-Semitism is on the rise. A worldwide study conducted in 2014 found that 46% of the world’s population knows nothing about the Holocaust. This ceremony was one of the events that aim to raise the young generation’s awareness of the horror.
The Jewish Confederation of Brazil (CONIB) and the Jewish Federation of Sao Paulo (FISESP) organized and held the event at the building of the Paulistana Jewish community (CIP) in Sao Paulo. Approximately 600 people participated.
Honored guests included the President of Brazil Michel Temer, who came especially from Brasilia, Foreign Minister José Serra, Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin, Sao Paulo Mayor João Dória, as well as politicians, diplomats, religious leaders and community leaders, all who came to remember those who were murdered and to honor the survivors, who were the most important participants at the ceremony.
Fernado Lottenberg, the president of the Jewish Confederation of Brazil, gave a response to historical revisionists who attempt to conceal the historical facts and prevent the young generation from getting to know the relevant historical testimonies. “We must never forget,” he said.
Foreign Minister José Serra noted the friendly diplomatic relations between Brazil and Israel and also emphasized that “we must always remember”.
In their speeches, President Michel Temer, Sao Paulo Mayor João Dória and Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin emphasized the importance of remembering and never forgetting, to respect life and to think about the future.
Six candles were lit during the ceremony in memory of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. Politicians, community leaders, a Holocaust survivor and young people from the community were invited to light the memorial candles.
Thomas Venentianer, a Holocaust survivor, introduced the other survivors present and expressed a feeling of great sadness on the one hand, but determination on the other hand to fight Holocaust denial.
The President of KKL Brazil, Eduardo El Kobbi, awarded Tomas a certificate of appreciation for a tree that was planted in his honor in the Brazil Forest in Israel’s Modi’in region.
At the end of the ceremony, representatives of KKL Brazil presented Holocaust survivors with seedlings of local trees, as a symbol of hope and continuity.