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Exhibition on Holocaust Remembrance at the UN, organized by the Permanent Mission of Romania
On January 23rd 2017, the Permanent Mission of Romania launched at the UN Headquarters in New York the photo exhibition entitled „Education and Memory, a press release sent to ACTMedia informs. The Holocaust in Romania”. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust from Romania „Ellie Wiesel”, illustrates the Holocaust commemorative and educational events organized in Romania during the Romanian presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016, aimed to inform and educate different segments of society, including the young generation, on the tragic events which happened during the Holocaust. The event was attended by many ambassadors, diplomats, journalists and representatives of the Jewish Community in New York, invited by the Permanent Mission of Romania.
In his statement, ambassador Ion Jinga stressed the importance of keeping alive the remembrance of the Holocaust tragedy. 72 years after the closure of Auschwitz Camp, many of the survivors are no longer among us. "Our duty is to make everything in our power to preserve their memory and make their story known by the young generations, so that such horrors will never happen again".
The Permanent Representative evoked the memory of Ellie Wiesel, survivor of the Holocaust and Nobel Peace Prize winner, born in Sighetul Marmatiei, Romania. Ellie Wiesel inspired the establisment of the national institutions dedicated to the commemoration of the Holocaust. He contributed to reaching the national consensus to assume the historical truth about the Holocaust tragedy: "We must honor his legacy."
During its mandate as Chair of IHRA, Romania has placed particular emphasis on the role of education: "We wanted to promote a model of acknowledgment, reconciliation and that honors the past. In a digital and globalized world, educating our youth in the spirit of the fundamental values of humanity is our best reaction to the contemporary threats to these values."
Mrs. Christina Gallach, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information and coordinator of the Memory of the Holocaust Outreach Program at the UN, highlighted the significance of January 27th for the international community, and the role of education for a better future. She underscored that this year the UN Department for Public Information is organizing over 135 events in 45 states, dedicated to Holocaust Education and Remembrance.
Mr. Ted Stahnke, which directs the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Initiative on Holocaust Denial and Antisemitism, spoke about the cooperation with the Romanian authorities, making a brief review of the developments at the national level on combating antisemitism. He underscored the firm commitment of Romanian authorities in promoting the memory of Holocaust and praised the efforts of the Romanian Presidency of IHRA in the field of education and remembrance. Against this background, he highlighted the adoption of the working definition of antisemitism, during the IHRA Plenary (Bucharest, May 2016).
Background
The exhibit opening launched a series of activities dedicated to the International Day of the Holocaust, at the UN Headquarters, between 23 to 27 January 2017, organized this year under the theme "Holocaust Remembrance: Educating for a Better Future".
The exhibition "Education and Memory. Holocaust in Romania" includes a brief history of the Holocaust in Romania, including the Iasi pogrom in 1941 and courageous stories of Romanians designated Righteous Among the Nations for their support to the Jewish community in darkest period of contemporary history.
UN General Assembly Resolution 60/7 (2015) declared January 27 – the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Camp in 1945 - as the International Day to commemorate Holocaust victims.