International Holocaust Remembrance Day – January 27, 2024
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is recognized annually on January 27. 
The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. For many, this heroic feat signaled the end of the Holocaust that will never be forgotten.
On this day of Holocaust commemoration, we honour the six million Jewish lives lost, and the millions of other victims of Nazism. We also honour the survivors and the people who gave their own lives to save the lives of others during the Holocaust.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day reminds us that everyone has a right to feel safe, supported, and accepted in their communities. This year, the United Nations (UN) theme for the day is “Recognizing the Extraordinary Courage of Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust.” Today and every day, we will honour the bravery of those who stood up to the Nazis with their remarkable stories and history. In the memory of all victims and survivors, we must take action to counter Holocaust denial, antisemitism and racism.
Education is one of the greatest tools when it comes to combatting hate and division. HWDSB is committed to ensure schools and classrooms are places where this important learning takes place.
Currently, the Ontario government is introducing new and expanded mandatory learning about the Holocaust in the compulsory Grade 10 History course in schools across the province. Starting September 2025, this mandatory learning will explicitly link the Holocaust to extreme political ideologies, including fascism, antisemitism in Canada in the 1930s and 1940s, and the contemporary impacts of rising antisemitism. The course complements new mandatory learning on the significance of the Holocaust included in Grade 6 Social Studies, which strengthens younger students’ understanding of how to identify, respond to and eliminate harmful assumptions and stereotypes that can lead to tragic events like the Holocaust.
At HWDSB, we always aspire to create and maintain learning and working environments that are inclusive, welcoming and free from discrimination for all. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their school communities and beyond.
It is important that we remember the important lessons learned from the Holocaust and continue to address all forms of hate and discrimination.
Sincerely,
Paul Denomme
Superintendent, Equity, Mental Health and Well-Being
Updated on Friday, January 26, 2024.