Post 1-Day 9

The Why—January 27—International Holocaust Memorial Day—was declared by the UN in 2005 but was first proclaimed a national day of remembrance by the US in 1979. Monday, January 27, also happened to be the 80-year mark of Liberation Day of Auschwitz by Red Army forces.

Today is a somber and significant day in humanity’s history. People from diverse backgrounds, primarily Jewish communities, as well as Roma communities, individuals with different political views, academics, various religions, sexual orientations, and varying disabilities, were subjected to detention, torture, experimentation, and death by Nazi forces. This horrific chapter unfolded under the guise of Nazi propaganda, Nationalism, and German hatred toward the "other," marked by a strong disdain for “multiculturalism.” We know the Jewish population of Europe was decimated, nearly wiped out in parts of Eastern Europe, with enclaves of historically Jewish towns gone forever, never to reappear.

Today, in 2025, fascism and antisemitism are again on the rise at home (USA) and abroad. Staggering numbers from several international and Jewish watchdogs suggest that again, like in November 1923, it is creeping its destructive web into the very fabric of our everyday life. If we do not recognize the signs, we are only bound to repeat the past. Individuals in positions of elected authority, as well as those who assist and support our elected officials, commit the most egregious offenses when anti-Semitism is disregarded rather than unequivocally condemned, treated as a subject of ridicule, or when Nazi symbolism is displayed on national and international platforms without any regard, and rallies endorsing Nazi ideals attended.

So, how does this tie into the 27th, the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day and International/National Holocaust Remembrance Day, you ask? First, though, a few things. Let me tell you. Due to the recent attack on DEIA programs, attacks on our federal workforce, and the “no time like the present” feeling that is more apparent this year than ever, this blog has become a neccesary space for documenting current events. The dissolution of DEIA initiatives will not only wipe National Holocaust Day of Remembrance from our calendars, but it will eventually, and likely far quicker than we can predict, wipe it from our collective memory. The living memory of that time is all but gone. Survivors of the Holocaust number less than 250,000, while the men and women who fought Nazi fascism are also quickly fading in numbers.

1. Abolishment of DEIA. Trump’s executive order to abolish all DEIA initiatives will profoundly affect millions of Americans, and we are already witnessing many of those effects. Representation for historically marginalized or underrepresented communities does not include the abolition of credibility or qualifications for recipients; instead, we can see large-scale benefits both for the community and the individual. DEIA—D (Diversity), E (Equity), I (Inclusion), A (Accessibility). 2. The federal funding freeze. Again. Profound effects nationally and globally in dozens of sectors. What I can say confidently is that research granting institutions and other funding institutions (federal loan providers) are now in limbo about the future, leaving millions of college students, university faculty, and scientific researchers in uncertainty, unsure of their future, be that their education, job, or research—for some, all three. 3. Birthright—Trump’s attempt to strip the 14th Amendment, effectively ending birthright citizenship similar to the Reich Citizenship Law is a constitutional and moral threat to our nation. 4. Censorship. We are currently witnessing a barrage of American censorship actions taking place. Unprecedented and far-reaching. Rewriting history in front of our very eyes. Government webpages have been scrubbed of relevant and neccesary data, decades of research, and life-saving information.

As Americans, global citizens, and family, I call on us not to stand by. Instead, have open, honest, and difficult conversations about the present and future and the stark resemblance to the past as they become more frequent. To honor those in our families who fought against such hate, either on the front lines—in the air or at sea, or on the home front—not letting their sacrifices go to waste. We have a duty to call out such occurrences even when we stand alone.