The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Brussels, 27 January 2025 – In an open letter, leading Jewish associations and the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism have addressed the leaders of the upcoming Belgian government.

The letter, signed by the European Jewish Association (EJA), the Ligue belge contre l’antisémitisme (LBCA) and the Joods Informatie- en Documentatiecentrum (JID), outlines key concerns of the Jewish community that they hope to see addressed in the new coalition agreement. The letter is being accompanied by an extensive online communication campaign to highlight this action and to involve citizens in the initiative.

1. Increased security

The letter highlights the need for increased security measures for Jewish institutions in light of the increased risk of attack, as identified by national security organisations. It calls for both temporary and structural reinforcements to ensure the safety of the Jewish community and implores the appointment of a federal security advisor to coordinate these matters.

2. Combating Jew hatred

The letter calls for the appointment of a special coordinator to combat anti-Semitism, an initiative already adopted by several European countries. This coordinator would be responsible for monitoring Jew hatred and developing strategies against this growing threat, particularly in view of the worrying increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Belgium.

3. Freedom of religion

As Europe continues to secularise, the letter underlines the importance of recognising and protecting religious freedoms. The Jewish community seeks assurances that its right to freedom of belief will continue to be respected and protected, and stresses the importance of constructive dialogue on sensitive issues.

The call to the new government is clear: take the concerns of the Jewish community seriously and integrate their needs into policy. The letter concludes with an invitation for partnership in the hope that, despite the tragedies of the past, the Jewish community can look forward to a dynamic future.

It is now up to the leaders of the coalition government in formation to respond to this call and to show that Belgium recognises and protects the value and contributions of its Jewish citizens.

Download the letter in PDF

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:8cd61633-824b-4f06-a19f-b8a607728615

The massacre at Babyn Yar was remembered by community leaders on Tuesday at the site near Kiev where more than 33,000 Jews were murdered in 1941.
The chief rabbi of the Netherlands, Binyomin Jacobs spoke, reading the kaddish.
The assembled dignitaries bowed and clasped their hands in otherwise silent mourning, standing entirely still despite the minus-eight cold.
Earlier, an Israeli man who is thought to be the last survivor of Babyn Yar, Michael Sidko, spoke by video link to delegates of the European Jewish Association symposium in Kiev’s Hilton.
Mr Sidko was six years old when a neighbour reported his family to the Gestapo three times as being Jewish, and they were arrested and brought to Babyn Yar.
The family were directed to “the pit” where Nazi officers supervised the killings.
As his mother held her baby son Volodya in her arms, his three-year-old sister Clara walked beside tugging at her skirt, and he and his older brother Grisha brought up the rear.
Clara ran up to Mr Sidko, he said, and asked to be carried in his arms. A policeman hit the girl in the head, knocking her to the ground.
He stamped on her chest until she stopped breathing. Mr Sidko’s mother saw this and fainted, dropping Volodya.
The policeman stamped on Volodya until he was dead.
Mr Sidko’s mother came round and screamed. She was shot, and all three bodes were hauled by the legs thrown into the pit.
The two brothers were selected for medical testing or forced labour and so permitted to live, Mr Sidko said, before a Russian or Ukrainian guard allowed them to run away.
“Hitler’s greatest mistake was making Auschwitz,” said Father Patrick of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, because the camp became evidence of Nazi crimes against humanity.
But at Babyn Yar there was “no train, no railway, just a mass grave”.
Mr Sidko long refused to talk about the massacre or even mention his Jewish identity to even his own children.
It was only in 2000 that he told his children they were Jewish and the family made aliyah.
“People should study history,” he added.“Students should be taught to love not hate.”
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/last-survivor-of-massacre-reveals-the-horror-of-babyn-yar-rHBFu0qobRGTTFoyk3GRm

The European Jewish Association is proud and delighted to welcome another organisation to our growing roster of partners and communities.
We have just concluded and signed a memorandum of understanding with The Kiev Jewish Community and Association of Jewish Communities in Ukraine.
We are sure that this cooperation will bring with it beautiful and important accomplishments. We look forward to working for the betterment of Dutch and European Jewry together.