Eighty Years Later: Auschwitz Survivors Sound the Alarm on Rising Antisemitism—Are We Listening?

El Z team / shutterstock.com
El Z team / shutterstock.com

Eighty years ago, the world bore witness to the horrors of Auschwitz’s liberation, vowing ‘never again.’ Fast forward to today, and it seems that promise is teetering on the edge of oblivion. Survivors of the Holocaust, now in their twilight years, are raising red flags about a disturbing resurgence of antisemitism. But in our modern, ‘enlightened’ society, are we paying attention, or are we too distracted by the latest social media outrage?

Take Marian Turski, a spry 98-year-old who endured the hellish conditions of Auschwitz in 1944. At a recent commemoration, Turski didn’t mince words: ‘We see in the modern world today a great increase in antisemitism, and it was antisemitism that led to the Holocaust.’ A sobering reminder that the seeds of hatred, once sown, can yield catastrophic consequences.

Then there’s Leon Weintraub, a 99-year-old survivor who was separated from his family and sent to Auschwitz in 1944. He warned of the dangers of intolerance, urging society to ‘multiply your efforts to counteract the views whose effects we are commemorating today.’ It’s a plea for vigilance against the creeping tide of hatred.

Tova Friedman, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz as a little girl, now 86, expressed her concerns: ‘Eighty years after the liberation, the world is again in crisis. Our Jewish-Christian values have been overshadowed worldwide by prejudice, fear, suspicion, and extremism.’ It’s a stark observation that challenges us to reflect on the moral compass guiding our current societal trajectory.

Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, didn’t hold back either. He pointed out that ‘young people are getting most of their information from social media, and that is dangerous.’ In an age where misinformation spreads like wildfire, this is a clarion call to critically assess the sources of our knowledge and the narratives we accept.

It’s easy to dismiss these warnings as the musings of an older generation out of touch with today’s realities. After all, haven’t we progressed? Isn’t society more inclusive now? But consider this: antisemitic incidents have surged in various parts of the world, often under the guise of political protests or social movements. The very platforms that promised to connect us have, in many cases, become breeding grounds for division and hate.

As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation, it’s not enough to remember the past. We must actively engage in the present to prevent history from repeating itself. This isn’t about political correctness or virtue signaling; it’s about recognizing the inherent dignity of every individual and standing against ideologies that seek to undermine it.

In the end, the question isn’t whether antisemitism is on the rise—it’s what we’re going to do about it. Will we heed the warnings of those who have witnessed humanity at its worst, or will we allow complacency to pave the way for history to repeat itself? The choice is ours, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.