On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, The Museum Calls for the Abuse and Exploitation of Holocaust Memory to Stop

Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, nations and individuals around the world pause to remember the six million Jews systematically killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators as well as the millions of others targeted for racial or political reasons. This is a moment to reflect on not only what happened, but how and why it happened and who made it happen: how an advanced, educated nation with a democratic constitution could attempt to kill every European Jew and succeed in killing two out of three.

As Holocaust denial and violent antisemitism surge globally, these lessons have never been more urgent. Yet the abuse and exploitation of Holocaust memory have become alarmingly commonplace, emanating from leaders across the political spectrum, celebrities, cultural influencers, and the general public. It must stop. And leaders from all parts of our society must lead.

This abuse is deeply offensive to Holocaust survivors—who are now in the final years of their lives. That alone should be sufficient. But we must never forget it presents a danger to all of society. When everything becomes the Holocaust, its particular warnings about the dangers of unchecked antisemitism and other forms of group-targeted hate, the power of propaganda, and the fragility of democracy are lost. Holocaust history has the power to teach vital, timeless lessons about why our choices matter—but only when it is approached with the precision, historical integrity, and respect it rightfully deserves.