The online event, which is open to the public, is being streamed by The Jerusalem Post and on the EJA’s Facebook page. The commemoration will begin at 2 p.m. CET (Central European Time), 3 p.m. Israel time.
A number of dignitaries, including EU commissioners, ministers, senators and parliamentarians, including of the European Parliament, as well as Jewish leaders from across Europe, will participate in the event, which will honor the memory of those that perished during one of the darkest periods of European history. Israel’s government will also be represented at a ministerial level.As part of the Zoom commemoration, senior political and diplomatic figures will share their ideas and engage in dialogue with Jewish leaders from across the continent on the best ways of eradicating the scourge of antisemitism, as well as the increasing challenges posed by laws that impact Jewish life and practice such as kosher slaughter and circumcision.
EJA chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the organizer of the online gathering, said “There are some days that transcend political or health crises, whose lesson from the past is too important to be passed by or ignored, no matter what the circumstances. International Holocaust Memorial Day is such a day.
“Jewish life in Europe is currently assailed by a twin threat: COVID-19-inspired antisemitism that has seen a resurgence of some of the worst libels and tropes, and repeated attacks on Jewish life through laws that seek to target our practices,” he said. “The echoes of the past cannot be ignored.”
The online event will be streamed live by The Jerusalem Post and on the EJA’s Facebook page. Viewers can register for the event at https://forms.gle/HBj4E1KqN1jsbgAb8 .