Human RightsHolocaust Remembrance: Why Memory Is More Urgent — and More Contested — Than Ever
By Tami Lancut Leibovitz | Master of Manners
Every year, Israel marks Yom HaShoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day — and on January 27, the world observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.
This year, the question feels unavoidable:
In a world overwhelmed by wars, polarization, ideological radicalization, and political exhaustion — is there still room for Holocaust remembrance as we once knew it?
The answer must be yes.
And not despite the current reality — but because of it.
Despite geopolitical tensions, rising antisemitism, and an increasingly aggressive global discourse, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is still being observed. The United Nations, democratic states, educational institutions, and cultural organizations continue to hold ceremonies, discussions, and educational initiatives. Not all for the same reasons — but the act of remembrance itself is a statement: some moral red lines still matter.
Yet memory today is under pressure.
In recent years, the Holocaust has become a political battleground.
Some seek to relativize it.
Others weaponize it.
And some attempt to erase it altogether under the banner of “historical fatigue” or false equivalence.
The result is a fragile, contested memory — one that demands defense.
The Holocaust was not only a crime against Jews.
It was a collapse of civilization.
It occurred at the heart of modern Europe, enabled by states, institutions, intellectual elites, and widespread silence. Remembering it is uncomfortable — because it requires accountability, not nostalgia.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day creates a rare moment of collective restraint. Sirens sound. Entertainment venues close. Public life slows. It is a conscious societal choice — not to argue, not to compete in suffering, not to politicize grief — but simply to stop and remember.
As the number of living survivors continues to decline, responsibility shifts to us. Not only to preserve historical facts, but to preserve the moral tone of remembrance.
This is where the concept of Fine Skills becomes essential.
Fine Skills are not about etiquette in the superficial sense.
They are about moral discipline in public space.
They include knowing when to lower one’s voice.
When not every opinion needs amplification.
When memory should guide behavior — not fuel outrage.
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, Fine Skills mean refusing to turn history into a weapon.
They mean choosing restraint over provocation, responsibility over performance.
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In an era where public discourse is loud, polarized, and often devoid of boundaries,
the decision to remember quietly, respectfully, and with moral clarity
is not passive.
It is a political and ethical stance.
Memory, today, is not guaranteed.
It must be protected — not only from denial, but from distortion.
And that task belongs to all of us.
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