The Survivors' Declaration was first read out by Holocaust survivor, the late Zvi Gil, of blessed memory, at the closing ceremony of an international conference held at Yad Vashem about "The Legacy of Holocaust Survivors: The Moral and Ethical Implications for Humanity." That ceremony took place in the Valley of the Communities at Yad Vashem on 11 April 2002.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of the Shoah, the Israeli Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has initiated a global campaign of recommitment to the message and principles of the Survivors Declaration.
Persons of conscience everywhere are called upon to honor the memory of the
victims, survivors and rescuers of the Holocaust by expressing their identification
with this Declaration.
The Age of Holocaust Survivors is drawing to a close. Before long no one will be left to say, "I was there, I saw, I remember what happened." Massive documentation shall remain: research, lessons, pictures and films, and copious testimonies. This will be a new era. The dark inheritance of the Shoah that was so indelibly stamped in the survivors' souls and hearts will become a sacred mission incumbent upon humanity.
In the spring of 1945 the great thunder of World War Two was silenced. In the eerie stillness that followed, we, the last vestiges of the Holocaust, emerged from the camps, the forests, and the death marches. We were ragged, bitter and orphaned, without friend or relative, without a home. We secretly wondered in our hearts if after the ghettos, transports, and Auschwitz we would still be capable of rekindling a spark of life within us. Could we ever work again? Love again? Would we dare begin a family again?
No, we didn’t turn into wild animals, hungering only for vengeance. This is a testament to the principles we possess as a people imbued with enduring faith in both man and Providence. We chose life. We chose to rebuild our lives, to join the fight for the establishment of the State of Israel, and to contribute to society in Israel, in a host of other countries, and to all of humanity. The majority of the Holocaust survivors came to Israel - the Jewish State. This was, for them, an existential imperative arising from the Holocaust. The foundations of the State of Israel include not only the memory of six million of our people who were murdered, but also a crucial historical lesson of the Shoah, namely that a Holocaust must never recur.
Since then, we have chosen to contend with the most resounding and perplexing issues relating to the Shoah: Why and for what purpose was the horror perpetrated? Why did the Germans single out the Jews as a danger to all humanity who must be annihilated? How is it possible that from within the German nation, which engendered great artists, thinkers and teachers of ethics, could arise murderers who fashioned and operated this unprecedented killing machine?
The survivors are a pluralistic lot, with myriad opinions, convictions and doctrines. But we share a deep desire to transmit to the future generations what we lived through, and what we learned during that dark time, before we bid farewell to this life that showed us so much bitterness. It is from here, from Har HaZikaron - the Mount of Remembrance - from Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, that we the survivors choose to tell our story. And it is now that we raise our collective and individual voices.
In Jewish tradition, the command to remember is absolute. It encompasses more than the mere
cognitive act of memory and must be rooted in moral commitment. Today, we for whom the memory
is burned in our hearts and on our flesh, gather to pass the torch to the next generation. We pass
on to you as well the message that remembrance must lead to ethical action. This must be the
foundation and the source of energy for the building of a better world.
"Thou shalt not murder!” This basic tenet of human morality was bestowed to all humanity at
Mount Sinai. The memory of the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis and their willing collaborators
obligates us to observe this supreme command. Life is a divine gift that we dare not steal from
one another, as we are all created in God’s image. Deriving from the legacy of the Shoah, we must
be relentless in our pursuit to meticulously safeguard human life, and to avoid unnecessary
bloodshed.
We, whose dignity was pounded into dust, and who speak in the name of those who were condemned
to degradation followed by murder, call on humankind to unite around the principles of human rights and equality, regardless of religion, race, social status or gender. Tyrannical despotism,political and religious oppression, economic deprivation which trample the human dignity of individuals and communities must be regarded by the world as intolerably grave sins.
There is no real alternative to coexistence between persons and nations. All must be done to resolve differences - not through bloodshed but rather through discussion and mediation, in the Middle East and in the entire world.
Antisemitism and all other forms of racism constitute a danger not only for Jews but also for the entire world. They conceal inclinations that are liable to result in further genocide. Currently the “new antisemitism” is directed simultaneously and synonymously against Jews, against Israel and against Zionism. The Holocaust showed the world the extent of the destructive power of antisemitism and racism. Holocaust denial, as well as distortion, minimization and trivialization of the Shoah provide a means of escaping the evident conclusions and lessons for the future. We, the survivors, call upon the world to uproot these phenomena and to combat them resolutely.
The memory of the Holocaust is immersed in destruction, evil and ruthlessness, threatening each and all human values. Yet we who staggered through the valley of death, who witnessed the destruction of our families, our communities and our nation, did not descend into despondency and despair. Nor did we lose faith in mankind and its divine image. Rather, we aim to extract from the horror a positive message for our people and for the world: a message of commitment to human values and to humanity itself.
The Shoah, which established the benchmark for absolute evil, is the universal heritage of all civilized persons. The lessons of the Holocaust must become a cultural code for teaching human values, for democracy, human rights and tolerance, and for countering racism and totalitarian ideologies.
From the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem the ancient proverb of Rabbi Hillel rings out: “That
which is hateful to you, do not do to another!”
This is our message to humanity. This is our legacy for generations to come.
