Albertans ‘stand with survivors’ on Holocaust Remembrance Day
By JEREMY APPEL on January 28, 2020.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com@MHNJeremyAppel Monday marked international Holocaust Remembrance Day, which took on a special significance this year as the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp’s 75th anniversary. Dina Jubrak, an active member of the Hat’s small Jewish community, says the lessons of the Holocaust ought to still resonate today so that we don’t fall into complacency. “What appears to be historical indifference from other countries was a really big cause of how big the tragedy was,” she said. “It’s a good lesson to learn to remember not to do this ever again.” A crucial lesson for Jubrak is the importance of welcoming refugees fleeing persecution. “If we remember the Holocaust, it’s really a given why we need to do this. So many lives could have been saved if not for our political indifference,” said Jubrak. We also ought to remain vigilant about seemingly “minor discriminations,” for that is how the mindset that contributed to the Holocaust began, she said. “We have to be mindful about what was the beginning of that,” said Jubrak. It was discrimination against European Jews under Nazi occupation that paved the way for the death camps, she said. Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes posted a quote on social media from famed survivor and 1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel – “For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” Premier Jason Kenney issued a statement commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day. “In remembering the Holocaust and paying tribute to millions of victims, we affirm our commitment to fight Holocaust denial, the evils of anti-Semitism and genocide. It is our responsibility to continue to educate future generations about the effects of prejudice and hatred,” he said. “As Albertans, we know there is no room for anti-Semitism. We are a province of welcoming, understanding and hard-working people. Today, we stand with survivors, their families and friends to mourn, acknowledge this unfathomable crime, and to educate future generations about the Shoah.” The statement initially referred to “Ukrainian soldiers” liberating 7,000 people from Auschwitz-Birkenau. In fact, as many on social media were quick to point out, it was the First Ukrainian Front – a division of the Soviet Red Army not solely composed of Ukrainians – which liberated the death camp. An updated statement on the government’s website now refers simply to “soldiers” who liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau. 16-15
