By Myriam Brenner (FSWC Education Coordinator)

On January 27, 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau—the largest Nazi death camp—was liberated. In 2005, the United Nations designated this date as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, reinforcing global remembrance of the Holocaust’s victims.

January 27 also serves as a stark reminder that the largest genocide in history resulted from a series of deliberate, incremental decisions made by individuals, ultimately unleashing a wave of antisemitism, hatred, and intolerance. Educating ourselves about this history is essential so we are better prepared to confront and speak out against antisemitism and all forms of hate.

One powerful way to learn about this history is through the firsthand testimonies of Holocaust survivors, such as Gershon Willinger. Born in 1942 in Amsterdam, Holland, Gershon was only a few months old when his parents placed him in hiding with members of the Dutch Resistance who were fighting the Nazis. Despite the courage and compassion of the Righteous Among the Nations family who sheltered him, Gershon was betrayed in early 1943 and deported to a series of concentration camps, including Westerbork, Bergen-Belsen, and Theresienstadt. His parents were murdered upon their arrival at Sobibor in July 1943.

Liberation did not bring immediate stability to Gershon’s life. He spent the next five years in various institutions before being placed in 1950 with a permanent Jewish foster family, with whom he lived for ten years. He later immigrated to Israel, served in the Israeli Army, and went on to study social work, dedicating himself to giving back to society. In later years, Gershon began sharing his testimony to educate others. Today, he is married and the proud father of three children and seven grandchildren.