Contact B'nai B'rith

1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N Washington, D.C. 20036

info@bnaibrith.org

202-857-6600

Why the 80th Anniversary of Auschwitz Liberation Still Matters

ItonGadol interviewed B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin about the 80th anniversary of the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz, discussing Holocaust remembrance, the parallels between October 7th and Nazi atrocities, and B’nai B’rith’s historical and ongoing efforts to combat anti-Semitism and support Israel.

Read the full interview in English.

Read the full interview in Spanish.

On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, B’nai B’rith International CEO, Daniel Mariaschin, said in dialogue with ItonGadol that ‘‘we should never tire of telling and retelling the story of the horrible persecution that was carried out there, and in so many places during the Shoah, against our people.’’

Regarding the similarities between the Hamas massacre and the Holocaust, Mariaschin said: What we saw on October 7th was a glimpse into what was encountered by Jews in Nazi-occupied and Nazi-allied Europe every day for six years, from 1939 to 1945.

What are your thoughts when we link our history or link B’nai B’rith and the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz?

The link to the 80th anniversary, as Jews, is, of course, central to not just our history, but to the Jewish psyche. Auschwitz stands as the “evil of evils” and we should never tire of telling and retelling the story of the horrific persecution carried out there, and in so many places during the Shoah, against our people.

For B’nai B’rith, the link is also very deep. B’nai B’rith’s members in Europe spanned the entire continent when World War II began on September 1, 1939. In Germany alone, we had 15,000 members; thousands of B’nai B’rith members and their families were among the six million.

When we have seen in the last few hours that practically the whole planet links Auschwitz with the massacre of 7 October, humanity ends up going backwards? 

In my view, what we saw on October 7th was a glimpse into what was encountered by Jews in Nazi-occupied and Nazi-allied Europe every day for six years, from 1939 to 1945. The genocidal massacres carried out by Hamas in the communities and kibbutzim on October 7th, is—yes—a stark reminder of what can result from untrammeled, vile hatred against Jews. Hamas terrorists were raised daily on that hatred, and they acted on it. Those who thought that this was just rhetoric were not just missing the signs, they were simply looking away—or worse.

B’nai B’rith has always been a beacon of light in history. Can it help us to imagine the future?

B’nai B’rith is 182 years old this year, so we have been present for, and as witness to, a fair amount of modern Jewish history. Over the years, we have been in the forefront of working on strengthening Jewish communal life, in battling anti—Semitism, and in advocating first for the establishment of the State of Israel and since 1948, working for it to be safe and strong. In a sense, this activity aspires to a future for the global Jewish community free of terrorism and violence, and one in which our community can grow and prosper. One needs to look at the Jewish continuum, spanning three thousand-plus years, to find the key to our survival: we have never let adversity—and worse—take our identity and our accomplishments from us.

What does this anniversary mean for you and B’nai B’rith?

For me, personally, this anniversary is quite meaningful. Both of my parents were born in Eastern Europe and were fortunate to have been brought to the United States as young children—early in the 20th century. But with the exception of two cousins, all of my mother’s family was killed in Lithuania during the Shoah. We know less about my father’s family, but I make the same assumption about it. For B’nai B’rith, a Jewish organization that was perhaps the largest and most active in Europe on the eve of WWII, it is a time to remember the great losses inflicted not only on us, but on the entirety of European Jewry.

What actions have you been taking this past year?

In the past year, like other organizations, we have been very focused on October 7th and its aftermath. We are speaking out about the “genocide” blood libel that has targeted Israel in so many ways at the United Nations, on university campuses, in the media, and in so many other places. Our accreditation as an NGO at the U.N. (since 1947) puts us in a good position to speak “truth to power” to diplomats and government leaders. And we’ve been a consistent voice in calling for release of all Israeli hostages—now! This is a time for all to stand up for Israel, and I am proud of the initiatives and actions we have taken in that regard.

What is your message to political leaders around the world?

The message to political leaders is to end the hypocrisy! Israel is a strong democracy, and many countries, including a number of those in the community of democracies, have lacerated Israel in one way or another. They should know better, but join in a chorus of criticism anyway. It could be the “genocide” charge, or that Israel has engaged in “war crimes.” Or, it can be support for the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court and their mission to demonize and delegitimize Israel. Israel’s defensive war against the terrorists from Hamas and Hizbollah, and the proxies of Iran is not only defending Israel, it is also doing the heavy lifting for other countries in pushing back the forces of anti-democratic negationism. Making Israel, the victim, into a victimizer, just turns the world upside down.