2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War and the Holocaust.
Flags at both campuses will be lowered on January 27 to honour the memory of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other non-Jewish people who were victims of Nazism.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, one of the main German Nazi concentration and extermination camps in Poland.
The UN has announced the theme for this year as ‘Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights.’
The day is an opportunity for Niagara College students and employees to learn more about the history of antisemitism – the hatred of or prejudice against Jews – especially as we hear about the sharp rise of antisemitism in our society.
About antisemitism
Antisemitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred, and discrimination (including violence and pogroms against Jews) took place before the Holocaust and at many points in human history. Today, antisemitism is a painful, harsh, daily reality for members of our community. Many Jews in Canada have family members who perished in, or were impacted by, the Holocaust, a source of intergenerational trauma and a reminder of the perils of antisemitism.
Statistics Canada reports that between 2022-23, hate crimes against Jews increased by 71% in Canada, for a total of 900 crimes reported to the police – the sharpest rise of any group.
We must all work together to put an end to the rise in antisemitism, Holocaust denial and hate in all its manifestations.
About the Holocaust
While Auschwitz was the largest camp — with the greatest number killed — they also had a significant number of survivors who have shared their stories, including acclaimed author Elie Wiesel.
While Poland, Ukraine, and Moldova had the highest concentration of extermination camps and mass killing sites, the Holocaust was a pan-European tragedy, with concentration camps, labor camps, and extermination sites set up across the continent. The Nazis also set up significant killing operations in the Balkans, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, often using transit camps to deport Jews to their deaths in Eastern Europe.
Training: Unpacking and Addressing Antisemitism
Niagara College recently purchased a series of EDI learning modules from Western University, including ‘Unpacking and Addressing Antisemitism.’ These modules address Bill 166, Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act. The College is currently working to customize the modules for NC students and employees. Stay tuned for an announcement.
Learning resources
Education plays an integral role in addressing the rise of antisemitism and Holocaust denial, we’ve shared a list of a variety of learning resources available to students and employees below.
Resources on the Holocaust and antisemitism are available through the Libraries and Learning Commons.
The Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion provides employees with a variety of resources on the Holocaust and antisemitism through their Knowledge Repository. Visit the EDI website to learn more about how to access these resources.
Community Voices Film: Children of the Holocaust
Six remarkable stories of survival from eyewitnesses of Nazi atrocities during World War II, brought to life through animation and a series of follow-up interviews with elderly survivors who recount their childhood experiences of Nazi atrocities and the impact on their lives. In thoughtful interviews, they discuss why Holocaust education is important to keep alive the memory of those who were murdered, and in order to stay vigilant so that the world may never see these horrific events repeated.
