On Jan. 27, 1945, the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp was liberated. On that day, the magnitude of the terrible crime and Germany's guilt were revealed. Today, we will honor the memory of the victims of the crisis of civilization that was the Holocaust.
I was born in Germany, just one decade after the Holocaust. The recognition of Germany's eternal responsibility for the Holocaust, that same unparalleled crime against humanity, which was instilled in me at my school and in my home has left its mark. A few days ago, I met with "yekkim," German-speaking immigrants to Israel, in Tel Aviv. Many of them either escaped Germany or survived the Holocaust. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that they were willing to meet and speak with me about what they experienced.
We are tasked with the responsibility of keeping the memory alive. At the same time, we must prepare for the fact that our children and our grandchildren will most likely not have the privilege to meet witnesses who survived the Holocaust. That is why it is also important that our commemoration is done through the use of a contemporary language: Today, for example, thousands of people all around the world, among them representatives of the German government, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and officials at the German Embassy in Tel Aviv, will commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holocaust with the hashtag #WeRemember.
German volunteers with the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, whom President Reuven Rivlin was set to host at the President's Residence on Jan. 27, are keeping the memory alive. Within the framework of their volunteer work in Israel, they assist Holocaust survivors in their day-to-day activities. Their social mobilization reminds us of our personal responsibility to mold our lives within society in such a way that leaves no room for hatred, discrimination or anti-Semitism – in Germany, across Europe and throughout the entire world.
Harassment, threats and even attacks inside Germany or anywhere else toward those who are recognizably Jewish or support the State of Israel are a terrible disgrace. In many cases, it starts out small, with harassment on the street and insults at school. Anti-Semitism has taken on new forms of expression: On social media networks, anyone motivated by anti-Semitic or racist thoughts is free to spew their vitriol.
The German government is determined to promote Jewish life and institutions in Germany and protect them. Any anti-Semitic incident is one too many. In May 2018, the German government appointed Felix Klein as its supervisor for promoting Jewish life and the struggle against anti-Semitism in Germany. The goal he has set for himself is to raise more awareness of anti-Semitism among the public in Germany and also to make a difference inside schools and civil society.
Jewish life in Germany has reverted to being a permanent and stable force in Germany for decades now. There are 225,000 Jews in Germany, half of them registered members of the Jewish communities. In addition, there are many Israelis, often young people, who reside temporarily in Berlin and other cities – a majority of them simply because they like it here. That is a valuable gift. We want to preserve and protect the trust they place in us.
