Nathan Ellison/Sun Staff Photographer

Eva Shrayer '26 speaks about the Amsterdam Soccer Riots at a Holocaust Remembrance Day Vigil held at Ho Plaza on Jan 27.

January 28, 2025

Cornell Students Hold Vigil for International Holocaust Remembrance Day

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In honor of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Cornellians gathered on Ho Plaza on Monday for a vigil. 

The Holocaust was the systematic mass murder of more than six million European Jews, along with millions of other individuals from marginalized groups, orchestrated by the German Nazi party. The largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz, was liberated on Jan. 27, 1945.

The vigil was organized by four campus organizations — Cornellians for Israel, Hillel, Chabad and the Center for Jewish Living

The vigil began with a speech emphasizing the importance of the event, in terms of remembrance but also defiance.

“The Holocaust was not just an assault on Jewish people, but also the essence of humanity,” said the speaker, a member of the Cornellians for Israel executive board.

The speech also highlighted the importance of Israel for the Jewish people, describing that “the story of Israel is a story of survival” and acknowledging recent antisemitic incidents, including the attack on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam in November. 

“Anti-semitism, once thought defeated, has re-emerged,” the speaker continued. “We cannot afford to turn our backs again.” 

After the conclusion of the speech, there was a moment of silence held for the six million Jewish individuals murdered during the Holocaust. Vigil attendees then joined together in reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish — a prayer for those who have died. 

The vigil ended with the Israeli national anthem “Hatikvah,” or “The Hope.” The anthem was first read aloud in English and then sung in Hebrew. 

When asked about the importance of the vigil, Cornell Hillel President Maya Weisberg ’26 said, “In light of recent events, it’s even more important to remember the Holocaust as an example of what happens when anti-semitism goes unchecked, so I’m very happy we could have this event as a moment to remember the detrimental consequences of anti-semitism.” 

Evelyn Mullen Walsh ’27 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].

Correction, January 28, 10:40 a.m.: A previous version of this article used an incorrect name for Cornellians For Israel.