The Holocaust will never be forgotten, but Rudi Florian wants to make sure people don’t ever forget its lessons.
National Holocaust Memorial Day, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz prison camp, was Jan. 27. Yesterday marked the 65th anniversary of the closure of
the camp.
Florian, docent at the New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum, said the day reminds people to fight for human rights.
“To memorialize that is, of course, to make people aware of what can happen if we are not vigilant for the rights and the dignity of each and every one of us,” he said.
Regina Turner, executive director of the New Mexico Human Rights Project, said the Holocaust has implications that are relevant today.
“We learn from the Holocaust that we must all be vigilant against institutionalized discrimination,” she said.
The New Mexico Human Rights Project will open an exhibit, “Anne Frank: A History for Today,” in Coronado Mall on Feb. 1.
Mae Eye of the UNM Israel Alliance said the observance day serves as a reminder of the tragic events of World War II.
“It’s the day that we remember the people who died, and the reason they died, which was because of their religious beliefs,” she said. “We need to remember it so that it doesn’t happen again.”
The Holocaust & Intolerance Museum sponsored a film screening at the El Rey yesterday. Florian said the film, “The Colours of the Holocaust,” explores the origins of anti-semitism in Europe, which led to the spread of Nazism.
“(Filmmaker Rax Rinnekangas) started with taking in questions about what started the whole Holocaust and anti-Semitism in general, and the movie provides interpretation by the artist born after World War II, of the events that have made a difference in European identity in the 20th century,” Florian said. “So, it basically tries to answer some questions about why it happened and what impact it still has today.”
*Anne Frank: A History for Today
Feb. 1
Coronado Mall
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