The Baltimore community will observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, marking 81 years since the liberation of the concentration camp Auschwitz in 1945.
The anniversary is a solemn reminder of the millions of lives lost, and there are several events planned throughout the community this year to mark the day.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is separate from Yom HaShoah, which is typically recognized in April. This day was designated by The United Nations General Assembly in 2005 to remember the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust.
The Baltimore Jewish Council and Chizuk Amuno Congregation are coming together to host a program on Jan. 27. The event will be held at Chizuk Amuno and is scheduled to begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.
The organizers said the event is free and offers the community a chance to come together for an evening of “remembrance, reflection and connection.”
“Through personal stories and shared experiences, we will explore how Holocaust memory is passed from one generation to the next — and why telling these stories matters today.
Voices from different generations will reflect on legacy, identity, and the responsibility we each carry to remember, to teach, and to stand against hate,” the synagogue’s website states.
The evening will end with a memorial ceremony featuring moments of reflection, prayer and a candlelighting.
“As we honor those whose lives were lost, we also affirm life, memory, and hope — carrying these stories forward so the next generation never forgets and always stands for light over darkness,” the website says.
The Baltimore Jewish Council and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington are partnering for a Holocaust Remembrance Day reception on Jan. 26 with several special guests, members of the Maryland Jewish Legislative Caucus.
The event will be held at the Treasury Building Assembly Room in Annapolis and is closed to the public.
At the event, legislators will hear from Holocaust survivors and their family members, detailing their experiences.
The Jewish Library of Baltimore is marking the occasion through its Books and Bites session on Jan. 28, where it’ll feature Eli Schaap, author of “The Jewish Woman Who Fought the Nazis: Bep Schaap-Bedak’s Life During the Holocaust in Holland.” The event will be held at the Jewish Library of Baltimore and is scheduled to begin at noon.
The author will share the story of his mother, Bep Schaap-Bedak, a Dutch-Jewish woman who helped more than 100 Jews go into hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland.
“Despite personal loss and unimaginable danger, her story is one of resistance, resilience and moral courage,” the Jewish Library of Baltimore wrote on promotional materials.
“Drawing on letters written to Bep during the war, Schaap’s book captures the emotional, psychological and religious experiences of persecuted Jews, while situating his mother’s story within the broader context of Jewish history.”
The event is free, and there will be books available to purchase and get signed by the author.
