October 8, 2025
Houston honors Holocaust Remembrance Day
Published on January 30, 2025 in the Jewish Herald Voice
Survivors, diplomats, supporters attend community service
Holocaust Museum Houston and the American Jewish Committee hosted diplomats, survivors, their families and guests to observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the museum Monday morning, Jan. 27.
The late Ukrainian Klymentiy Sheptytsky, recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations, was honored at this year’s commemoration. The Archimandrite (a head of several monasteries) of the Order of Studite monks of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church harbored Jews in Studite monasteries and organized groups that would aid them in escaping.
In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau is commemorated across the world in honor of the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. This year marks the 80th year of liberation.
HMH interim CEO Linda Burger set the tone of the gathering and introduced the speakers: AJC Board President David Simon, Consul General of France Valérie Baraban and Consul General of Ukraine Vitali Tarasiuk. The program also included recorded video remarks from ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova.
The event was opened and closed by songs performed by Carly and Annie Katz, students at The Emery/Weiner School.
Simon introduced the speakers to the audience.
“With antisemitism at its highest levels globally since World War II, it is crucial that we remember the diplomats who acted courageously and with conscience to rescue Jewish lives,” Simon said. “Their examples of moral clarity inspire us to stand against hatred and injustice in all its forms.”
Consul General Tarasiuk spoke with the JHV before the program about Jewish and Ukrainian shared history.
“Every fourth Jewish victim of the Holocaust was from the territory of Ukraine. Babi Yar is near Kiev. Today, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commemorated the victims of the Holocaust at this site.
“For us, [the memory of the Holocaust] is important because evil, if not punished, comes back again. Especially right now, it is difficult for the Ukrainian people because we are going through events similar to the Second World War, when a neighboring power tried to exterminate the Ukrainian nation. It is important to remember atrocities of the past.”
Consul General of France Baraban addressed the attentive crowd by explaining that we are combating antisemitism by remembering the victims and survivors of the Shoah.
“Antisemitism is neither unique to the past nor confined to the shadows; it is virulent, pervasive and widespread,” she said. “What must we do? We honor the survivors of the Shoah.”
Baraban paid tribute to Ruth Steinfeld as an example of the strength and courage of Holocaust survivors to assure that the Shoah is not forgotten.
“She encourages us to never forget the past while working tirelessly for a brighter future,” Baraban said.
“Survivors of the Shoah are leaving us one by one. As their voices fade, the torch passes to us their vigilance, courage and sense of justice for future generations.
“We must all move from remembrance to responsibility … we must safeguard historical truth.
“Jewish communities around the world face fear and uncertainty. It is our collective responsibility to stand with them, to protect, to support, and ensure that their voices are heard, and confront these new threats within our societies.”
In her video recording presented on a wall-size screen, Ukrainian Amb. Markarova introduced the day to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered, and honor those with extraordinary courage who risked everything to save innocent lives. Klymentiy Sheptytsky was one such individual.
Markarova also shared some of the history shared by Jews and Ukrainians.
“The horrors of the Holocaust serve as a reminder of what unrestrained aggression can lead to,” she said. “Today, as Ukraine faces a brutal aggression by Russia, we are reminded of the immense force of indifference and importance of standing against tyranny.
“I want to thank the American Jewish community for your steadfast support of Ukraine, justice and protection of human rights.”
Following their remarks speakers, survivors and guests proceeded from the auditorium to the Holocaust Memorial to place a stone on one of the three simple marble cubes in front of the wall.
Nearly 1,000 Holocaust survivors who made Houston their home after WWII have registered with HMH since its doors opened in 1996. Their names are proudly displayed on HMH’s Jerusalem stone Survivors’ Wall.
