This year, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed with a message from the President of the United States, reflecting on the events and victims of the Holocaust. The statement acknowledges the millions of Jewish people who were murdered by the Nazi regime and its collaborators, as well as other groups targeted for systematic persecution, including Slavs, Roma, people with disabilities, religious leaders, individuals targeted for their sexual orientation, and political prisoners.
The President's message marks January 27 as the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945 by Allied forces. The camp was described as "the Nazi Regime’s largest concentration and death camp in World War II," where more than one million people lost their lives. Prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau were stripped of their possessions and dignity, with many killed immediately while others endured forced labor, starvation, disease, torture, and medical experiments.
"The systematic murder of Jewish people across Nazi-occupied Europe remains an indelible blight on mankind," said the President. He added that his administration has made it a priority to combat anti-Semitism using all appropriate legal tools available to the federal government. "My Administration will remain a steadfast and unequivocal champion for Jewish Americans and the God-given right of every American to practice their faith freely, openly, and without fear."
The statement also paid tribute to Holocaust survivors who have shared their stories despite enduring deep trauma: "On this solemn day, we remember every man, woman, and child senselessly killed by the evil, depravity, and hate of the Nazi Regime—and we commend the survivors who dedicated their lives to sharing their stories while carrying the unimaginable burden of the seen and unseen scars." The President concluded by reaffirming a commitment to human dignity: "This International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and every day, we honor their enduring resilience, faith, and strength—and we recommit to the sacred truth that every human being is made in the holy image of God."
