In 2005, the United Nations designated January 27 as the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
This day commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp that took place in 1945 and honours the memory of the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust (the Shoah).
6 million people of Jewish identity and millions of others were killed in the Holocaust, including those targeted based on their ability, ethnicity, religious and political beliefs, and/or sexual orientation (for example, people with disabilities, 2SLGTBQIA+ people, Roma, Black people, Slavic people and Jehova’s witnesses).
This day presents an opportunity to remember and educate current and future generation about the past, to honour the victims of the Holocaust, and, amid a rise in antisemitism and waning knowledge of this history, actively challenge hatred and discrimination in all its forms.
Read a statement from the AVP, Equity and Inclusion commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Featured events
January 23–29, 2024
UBC Vancouver Bookstore book display
Expand your understanding and knowledge of the Holocaust through a selection of books by the UBC Bookstore.
January 27, 2024
Lighting the Ladner clock tower
The Ladner clock tower at UBC Vancouver will light up yellow to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
January 29 – February 2, 2024
Holocaust Education Week 2024 hosted by Hillel BC
- January 29 – February 2, 2024 | Yad Vashem Exhibit, Shoa: How Was It Humanly Possible?
- January 29 | Unheard Echoes; The Impact of the Holocaust in Lithuania
- January 30 | Unheard Echoes; The Far Reach of the Holocaust in Asia
- January 31 | AEPI Reading of the names
- February 1 | A Fireside Chat with Survivor Marie Doduck and Dr. Lauren Faulkner Rossi
- February 2 | Shabbat Dinner With Honoured Guests: Holocaust Survivors
Access resources
- Jewish Chaplain at UBC Vancouver
- Canadian Holocaust Resources
- Facts about the Holocaust, UNESCO
- Education about the Holocaust and genocide, UNESCO
Find community
- Hillel BC
- Jewish Faculty Network (National)
- UBC Chapter: jfnetwor@gmail.com
Are you in a UBC department or student group planning an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event?
Please connect with us to have your event considered for this page info.events@ubc.ca.