This year, our delegation to Auschwitz was more vital than ever. For over two years, Jewish communities across Europe and around the world have faced unprecedented levels of antisemitism, escalating from hate speech to physical violence and even murder. We have said it before: antisemitism did not end with the liberation of Auschwitz. It never died!
This year, we came to a painful realization: we can no longer simply ask, call, or plead with leaders to act against antisemitism. We cannot continue living behind walls, concrete barricades, and constant police protection around every Jewish institution. Stronger measures are needed, along with a new definition and framework of protection.
That is why this delegation was so vital. During this year’s gathering, EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin called on Europe to finally recognize Jewish communities as a protected minority, with all the legal safeguards such recognition entails.
This year, we gathered in Krakow just days before the 87th commemoration of Kristallnacht ,the Night of Broken Glass, to honor the memory of the victims, to stand against hatred and antisemitism, to reject Holocaust denial and justification, and to say in one clear voice: the fight against antisemitism is not only a Jewish issue, it is a European one.
We wish to thank all our guests who traveled from near and far to join us , to listen, to remember, and to learn not only about the horrors of Auschwitz’s past but also about the troubling reality of today.
Our deepest gratitude goes to former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for joining us in Auschwitz and for his steadfast support of the Jewish people and communities worldwide. We also thank our dear friends, partners, and every guest who continues to stand by us and support our efforts over the past two years and beyond.
