“Inherent in authentic remembrance is vigilance and action. More often than not, remembrance has been bereft of such crucial components. Memory can be a graveyard, but it can also be the true kingdom of man.” These words, so eloquently spoken by Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, address the pledge that our generation and future generations must undertake to uphold the torch of remembrance and accept the legacy bestowed upon us.

Today marks the sixty-sixth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, with commemorations across the globe in observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Over sixty-five years have passed since the end of World War II and the atrocities of the Nazi Holocaust. It is difficult to imagine the horrors endured by the victims, or the eternal scars carried by its survivors. In many ways the crimes committed upon them are imprinted upon us all. Yet how much have we learned from the past? Out of the horrors of Armenia and the Nazi Holocaust, a word was created to give the ultimate crime a name. It was created to invoke immediate condemnation, to drive people to act, and to establish genocide as an international crime, which signatory nations would undertake to prevent and punish.
It was the hope that the global community would stand together to confront hatred, intolerance, and crimes against humanity. Yet, despite the exhortation of “never again,” the 20th century was the darkest chapter on record and we face new genocides today. Today’s observances remind us that our wish to never again be confronted by such atrocities still brings us to a place where action falls short.

In Illinois we have a special opportunity to transform this promise into practice, to create a mandate dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust and fostering the promotion of human rights and the elimination of genocide. Last July, over 100 people joined Governor Pat Quinn at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center to witness the signing of House Bill 6059. The Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission Act created an 18-member commission to increase public awareness of the Nazi Holocaust and other genocides through educational programs, public commemorations, and community outreach.

The commission represents the latest milestone in our state’s visionary approach to this subject, which began in 1990 with passage of the landmark Holocaust Education Act. That legislation was the first of its kind in the nation, mandating the teaching of the Holocaust in public schools. Six years ago, the mandate was expanded to include teaching about historic and contemporary genocide, including the ongoing atrocities in Darfur. In Illinois we can re-write the script, creating a constituency of citizens that will not only be bearers of history, but guardians against hatred and indifference.

Now more than ever, as we honor those we seek to remember, we must affirm the obligation of our generation to recognize our shared responsibility to humanity, and duty to teach others, so that we may learn to speak out in the face of genocide. Let January 27 serve as our call to action. It is an awesome responsibility, but our sacred task as each others keepers.

Fritzie Fritzshall, President of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and a Holocaust Survivor

Richard S. Hirschhaut, Executive Director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center