The evening of April 13, 2026, marks the 81st anniversary of the Holocaust, in which Nazi Germany systematically murdered over six million Jewish men, women and children. Every year, the Jewish community mention HaShoah, the Hebrew word for Holocaust, on the Hebrew date 27th of Nisan. The internationally recognized date symbolizes the fall of the Auschwitz camp. Additionally, Yom Hashoah, observed by the Jewish people, commemorates the Warsaw ghetto uprisings. The Warsaw ghetto uprisings were the largest uprising by Jewish people during the Holocaust and the first significant revolt against the Nazis. Jewish people commemorate this day to shift the narrative from sole victimhood to Jewish heroism, and continue to remember the Jewish strength of not giving up and always rising.
During Holocaust remembrance day, profound sadness, grief and somber reflection rise in the Jewish communities. Jewish people around the world commemorate and reflect on this day, no matter their location.
“It’s where I focus on what happened to my family and [others], and how important it is to hear the stories and to never forget,” an anonymous FHS Jewish junior said. “I usually have mixed feelings of how proud I am to be Jewish and [I am] also disgusted by how Jewish people were treated and how many families were killed.”
The Holocaust, led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, was rooted in racial hatred and antisemitism. It began with creating discriminatory laws against Jewish people. Following that, these laws later escalated into violence, ghettos, shootings and the “final solution” — the establishment of concentration and death camps. Concentration camps served as the primary way for the German SS and police to murder efficiently, killing nearly 2.7 million Jewish people either by poison gas or by shooting, just in the camps. During the Holocaust, about 6 million Jews were murdered, nearly a third of the world’s Jewish population then, which hasn’t recovered since.
Education about the Holocaust is not only to learn the historical facts — it is also to examine the fragility of societies, human behavior, propaganda, dangers of discrimination and dehumanization, according to UNESCO. Holocaust relevance to modern times, the power of resilience and to prevent similar atrocities.
“I think it’s important to learn about the Holocaust because it’s something that must not happen again to any person, no matter where they are coming from,” an anonymous FHS Jewish student said. “If we don’t learn about it, and students that are not Jewish will not learn about it, then things will repeat.”
29 states have required the teaching of the Holocaust in their schools, according to ADL. Here at FHS, students are taught about the Holocaust in sophomore World History and Literature and learn about the historical significance and emotions revolving around it.
“I’m learning right now about the Holocaust in school, and I’m happy we’re learning about this in schools since it is a very important topic,” an anonymous FHS Jewish student said.
According to BBYO surveys. 71% of students experience antisemitism in their high school. While most Jewish people are protected in their classes, the massive amount of antisemitism going around does not stop when the bell rings.
After the Holocaust, antisemitism never disappeared, but rather adapted and changed while continuing to threaten Jewish security and self-determination. Online platforms accelerate antisemitism, allowing the content to thrive, reach wider audiences and becoming normalized. As a result, combating antisemitism today requires not only remembering historic antisemitism, but also challenging its modern forms, which can appear in forms like Holocaust denial which began to emerge as an organized movement during the 1960s, TikTok trends from videos to comments and misinformation in education or online.
“I feel like social media is a big part of Jewish people getting so much hate, just like in the Holocaust, Jews are considered literal aliens,” an anonymous FHS Jewish sophomore student said. “In our day-to-day lives, antisemitism goes around school [and] public places, Jewish people getting beat up just the other week in Santana Row for simply being Jewish. Teaching [helps] prevent [continuation] and hopefully not repeat [the Holocaust].”
