October 02, 2017
2018 Holocaust Days of Remembrance Theme Announced
The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust is charged with hosting an annual observance in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The theme for the 2019 Holocaust Days of Remembrance in Georgia is "Holocaust Remembrance: The Responsibility to Educate."
The Holocaust took place because individuals, groups, and nations made decisions to act or not to act. Words were powerful tools in this context, spurring people to action across a spectrum of behaviors. Hateful words incited people to join or assist the Nazis and their collaborators. Resistance groups wrote, broadcast, and even sang words of defiance and inspiration. People targeted by the Nazis documented their experiences in diaries and letters. They created compelling testimonies that live on today.
This theme encourages reflection upon the moral questions raised while examining this period of history and what it means to be a responsible citizen. The words we use, when we speak, when we write, post or tweet, have a lasting impact.
We must be ever vigilant, carefully choosing our own words. We must stand up to the words that promote racism, antisemitism and hate. We must weigh the power of words, our own, and those of others. Never again begins with us."
- Sally N. Levine, Executive Director
At the Days of Remembrance observance, the Commission presents its annual awards: the Humanitarian Award and the Distinguished Educator of the Year. The winners of the 2018 Creative Arts Student Contest are also recognized. Contest entries must reflect the 2018 theme and use sources provided by the Commission.