Auschwitz Survivors Sound Alarm on Growing Hatred as 80th Liberation Anniversary Approaches

OŚWIĘCIM, Poland — On Monday, survivors of Auschwitz convened for what is likely the last major commemoration of the camp’s liberation, highlighting the chilling rise of antisemitism in today’s world. As they marked the 80th anniversary, 56 survivors sat beneath a large tent near the camp’s infamous gate, an event deemed exhausting for a group whose youngest members are now in their late 80s.

The camp, which was a site of unimaginable horror during World War II, claimed the lives of approximately 1.1 million people, predominantly Jews. Other targeted groups included Poles, Roma, and various political dissidents. Marian Turski, a 98-year-old survivor, implored attendees to remember the Holocaust’s victims, noting the disparity between their numbers and the dwindling group of survivors. “We have always been a tiny minority. And now only a handful remain,” he stated.

In total, the Nazi regime systematically murdered six million Jews across Europe, leading to a significant reduction in the Jewish populace. In 2005, the United Nations officially recognized January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Leon Weintraub, a 99-year-old survivor, condemned the increasing radical movements spreading hatred, a perspective shaped by his experiences in both Poland and Sweden. “This ideology preaches hostility and hatred,” he said, emphasizing the perils of racism and antisemitism.

World leaders were present, including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Polish President Andrzej Duda, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Zelenskyy, whose nation faces ongoing aggression from Russia, remarked that “the evil that seeks to destroy entire nations still remains in the world.”

While past events included Russian representatives to honor the Red Army’s role in liberating the camp, their presence was notably absent this year due to political tensions. President Vladimir Putin expressed dissatisfaction over this exclusion, recalling the Soviet soldiers’ vital role in combatting totalitarian evil.

Ronald Lauder, head of the World Jewish Congress, called on global leaders to denounce antisemitism, reminding them that “the world’s silence led to Auschwitz.” He recalled the horrors witnessed upon liberation and highlighted that more than 60 million lives were lost due to the war ignited by this pervasive hatred.

Tova Friedman, an 86-year-old survivor, spoke poignantly about her experiences as a child at Auschwitz. She vividly remembers her arrival, the terror she felt, and the horrifying sights surrounding her. Settling in the United States post-war, Friedman now fears a resurgence of the anti-Jewish sentiments that threaten the safety once afforded to Jews in America. “The world has become toxic,” she warned. “If we don’t stop this, it may get worse and worse.”