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World Jewish Congress Runs #WeRemember Campaign

[additional-authors]
January 22, 2019
Photo by the World Jewish Congress

Ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27,  for the third year in a row, the World Jewish Congress (WJC)  is running its #WeRemember campaign. The campaign urges people around the world to photograph themselves holding a #WeRemember sign and post it to social media using that hashtag, to spread the message that never again must mean never again.

The (WJC), representing more than 100 diverse Jewish communities on six continents, is dedicated to combating anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred, genocide and xenophobia. From Jan. 6-27, the campaign is occurring simultaneously in 50 countries, in 20 languages, with a number of partners including several social media giants and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Educational Organization. Last year, the campaign reached more than 650 million people, more than one out of (11) people worldwide.

“We had this crazy idea. Tens of millions of people heard it.
But now, things have gotten crazier.
We will explain, because we survived the Holocaust.
We’ve seen the worst of humankind,
Millions of people were slaughtered.
It did not happen all at once;
It started with hateful messages and elections,
And ended with murder of 6 million Jews
But the horrors of fate didn’t end with the Holocaust

It happened again…
In Cambodia…
In Bosnia and Rwanda…
Darfur and Myanmar…

And today, we are seeing more hatred
Towards foreigners…
African Americans…
Muslims…
Jews…
And others.
So, for what could be the last time,
We call on you to ensure today is better than yesterday.
Create a ‘We Remember’ sign and post it on social media
Encourage everyone you know to say ‘I will stand up and put down signs of racism, and acts of hate towards anyone.
Unfortunately, we always remember.
So, now we ask you, please, don’t forget me”

-The World Jewish Congress, #WeRemember Campaign

A concerning report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) last month found that nine out of 10 European Jews said they believed anti-Semitism was getting worse, and a shocking CNN poll released shortly before that found that more than one-third of Europeans know little to nothing about the Holocaust.

“With fewer survivors among us, it is the responsibility of the next generation to keep their stories and memories alive. Together, we must remember the past to protect our future for generations to come,” said Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress. 

Joining the Campaign

From January 23-27, participant photos, interviews with Holocaust survivors, and messages from influencers of varied backgrounds, professions, ages, and religions will be projected in live stream on the walls of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Social media companies, including Twitter and Snapchat, are supporting the WJC’scampaign in various ways.

Snapchat, for example, is providing coverage on the “Our Story” feature, including content related to Holocaust education which will be hosted on the “Discover” page. Snapchat users are able to join in on the conversation by submitting their ‘snaps’ to the public “Our Story” feature using the available filters.  

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has also joined the WJC as an integral partner, after launching together a joint website on Holocaust education (aboutholocaust.org).  Nancy Spielberg, whose Playmount Productions recently released the Holocaust film, “Who Will Write Our History,” will also join the #WeRemember project.

Photo by the World Jewish Congress

“With levels of anti-Semitism, xenophobia and Holocaust-denial rampant and rising across the world, it is imperative that the memory of the Holocaust be shared more widely than ever, to ensure that the atrocities we witnessed just seven decades ago never repeat themselves,” Lauder said.

The campaign will launch with a unique call by a number of Holocaust survivors who have a mission to educate the world to create a better future, and to share their stories with younger generations. These survivors include, inter alia, Toby Levy, a social media activist who has dedicated her life to educating the next generation about the danger of hatred, and Saul Dreier, the founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band and an advocate for using music as a form of remembrance. Participants amplifying the 2019 initiative also include reformed neo-Nazis, sports teams and association and people of all religions and backgrounds.

According to Lauder, “education is the key to combating the spread of anti-Semitism and hatred, and given today’s digital sphere of influence, social media is the best tool to reach the masses.” 

“Since the #WeRemember initiative began, it has become a grassroots movement of wide impact,” Lauder added. “Therefore, we urge everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, to participate in the 2019 World Jewish Congress #WeRemember campaign to inspire these important conversations and help further spread awareness.”

Previous campaign participants include: Pope Francis, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, First Lady Melania Trump, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Senator of New York Charles Schumer, actress Gal Gadot, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel, Holocaust survivors and supporters from all walks of life fighting rampant anti-Semitism.

For more information about the campaign, visit the We Remember website.


Andrew Rossow is a millennial internet attorney who writes on cybersecurity, law, and technology. You can follow his work on Facebook, Instagram, and through his #CYBERBYTE series.

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