Remembering the six million Jews taken from us and honoring those who survived.

On January 27, 1945, Nazi Germany’s largest concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated. For many, Auschwitz came to represent the horrors inflicted by the Nazi regime and its systematic effort to annihilate Europe's Jewish population.

Decades later, January 27 was established as International Holocaust Remembrance Day – a day when we remember and commemorate the six million Jews who perished, those who survived, and those precious survivors who are still with us.

Today’s Holocaust survivors are our heroes and most valuable teachers.

Just as we honor the memory of the six million Jews who were murdered, we must also honor and support those who survived. And time is running out. Most of the Holocaust survivors living in the US are over 85. And over one-third live in poverty. They deserve to live with comfort and dignity and to know that the stories of what they endured and the horrors of the Holocaust will be remembered so that they may never be repeated again.

Jewish Federations pledge to care for and learn from Holocaust survivors.

Helping Holocaust survivors live in safety and dignity is of paramount importance to the Jewish community. Along with local partners such as Jewish Family & Children's Service in Monmouth and Jewish Family Services in Middlesex, and the Claims Conference, Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey works to ensure that survivors receive in-home aid to assist with essentials of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, meal prep, and more. We’ve also raised and lobbied for federal funding to help survivors and advocated for the federal Never Again Holocaust Education Act and a new NJ state law requiring K-12 public school systems to begin improving transparency, consistency, and accountability in Holocasut education.

We have a short window of time to hear first-hand from survivors. And there’s still so much for us to do. Here's how you can help.
 

Learn. Share. Get involved.

Hear a survivor telling their story.
Learn by reading a moving personal account of surviving Auschwitz or living in hiding during the Nazi regime.
Visit Chhange – one of the country's most highly respected Holocaust museums and education centers, which happens to be located in our own community.
Donate to a Jewish organization that helps support Holocaust survivors and/or Holocaust educational initiatives.
Advocate to Congress to request and thank Members of Congress for funding Holocaust survivor services.
Volunteer with Holocaust survivors in your local community via Federation.
Get involved with Federation's advocacy efforts to fight antisemitism in your community.
Watch live programs for International Holocaust Remembrance Day.