On Yom HaShoah we remember and honor the six million Jews and the millions of others the Nazis murdered including Roma, LGBTQI+ persons, Slavs, and persons with disabilities. We honor them not only as they died, but as they lived, fought, and loved. We mark their lives in their richness and complexity as we mourn the traditions, knowledge, histories, and families lost. We find in their memory the strength to stand against all forms of antisemitism, hatred, and bigotry, and to insist the Holocaust is remembered and taught accurately.
Among the most powerful lessons we can learn from the Holocaust is that the mass murder of six million Jews was not a sudden or singular act, but rather the culmination of countless incremental steps designed to vilify and dehumanize people. That’s why we must remember now, and always.