Today is a day of remembering, a day we remember what we did not forget, a day of reminding each other...
A day to re-commemorate the Jews, the gypsies, the LGBT community, the disabled, the believer, the non-believer who were slaughtered in the Holocaust...

And not only them, it is also a day to remember and commemorate those who have been mass murdered in Bosnia, in Cambodia, Darfur and Rwanda despite living in a world which witnessed the Holocaust…
We have been commemorating the Holocaust for many years on the day of the Warsaw ghetto uprising. Today, although I am speaking here with my Jewish identity, I want to deliver my speech by speaking for the pain and the memories of those who were victims of all these genocides.
I was able to participate to the Holocaust Memorial Week organized to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, as decided by the United Nations in 2005, and therefore had the chance to listen to the some of the “do not forget” ceremonies on site, and some from their recorded broadcasting.
All were very significant, realistic and emotional speeches that could touch any audience.
Lastly yesterday, I listened to German President Steinmeier in the Bundestag...
With the pain and responsibility in his heart and in a way that would not raise any questions or doubts, he reiterated that they carried out the Holocaust…
Listening to Steinmeier’s speech, I thought, “While the responsible are accepting the crimes they committed in an absolute and indisputable way, could the mentality of Holocaust deniers be any different from the Nazis?”
I would like to ask you: Who or which nation, would adopt such an unprecedented genocide? Who would wish to own such a disaster with undeniable determination and would struggle so hard so it’s never forgotten?
Steinmeier’s speech included yet another confession, and that was the shame that unfortunately, different variants of antisemitism, xenophobia, Islamophobia etc. continue to rouse, to grow stronger and to take life, even in Germany, where the vivid traces of this pain still remain.
One of the common points in all the speeches that I have listened to was the hostility towards the “other” that increases rapidly and in a diversified way.
However, it’s only when you listen to the Holocaust survivors, that you feel the urge to bow your head, that’s the only wat you can confront and acknowledge their speech…
These survivors, these holy people, Jews or gypsies, in their distinctive speeches they made during the week, criticized these practical facts, these sincere approaches in the most meaningful and most gentle way, while holding us responsible for the rising hatred in all the segments of the society...
They seemed like kindly wishing to convey to us that the determination in the ceremonies did not reflect on the streets, that people did not reach a level of tolerance based on love, and that the people who create this hatred and this chaos were insidiously happy with this situation...
Another common feature of all of them was that they had no “hate in them”… Although what they experienced was far beyond what we saw and heard, there was no “hate” in them…
They were all pointing to only two things: that everything started with hatred and that the biggest partner of hatred was “indifference and negligence”.
The only way to deal with hatred was to wipe it off and with the same counterpower…
What could the power of hatred be compared to, I thought...
I found the answer in one of the perashas of our Torah, a portion of the Holy Book, which we read every week. In some events that were scripted 3300 years ago...
In these weeks, we are reading about the exodus of Moshe Rabenu and the Israelites, from Egypt.
The Pharaoh, who perceived himself as God and considered as threat the way that the Jews were blending with the Egyptians and were trying to protect their own way of life, did not give up his determination, perseverance or belief despite the 10 plagues that were sent to him, and fought with an interminable hatred to destroy them, at the cost of destroying Egypt and himself…
That how strong, how determined and faithful the threat we are facing is…
How can we understand the essence of hatred in its simplest way? Hatred uses its sweet language in its most humane way, to make us lose consciousness.
It makes use of the “other” in our problems, in our failures, in our misery and fears…
... When we look in the mirror, it makes us see the other…
... The Jews, the Muslims, the Christians, people with different preferences, and even virtual enemies they can’t even name… loads of enemies…
Who knows how many times, we have said, “You don’t understand me,” when we wanted to explain ourselves…? However, we are the ones who need to explain things in their simplest way...
Education is the only way we can deal with these issues and internalize ways to deal with them.
It is to urge, to develop and to enhance this way in the most effective manner, insistently and persistently.
And it is to start this education even before the individual is born.
However, this education and this process needs a guardian too.
Although we are determined to convey this message, there may and still be some deficiencies.
It is in this void that hatred begins to flourish and to bring damage, trying to dominate us by dragging us to despair…
The way to be protected from this is: “law”; to be able to equip the law on behalf of the society with the strongest regulations, in order to protect people’s freedom...
... Otherwise, the individual belief of absolute freedom, to do everything as they wish, with the pretext of freedom leads nothing but self-destruction.
Systems of education and law, which are based on solid grounds, are the two most important stakeholders that nurture each other, and are the ultimate fear of hatred.
Let’s never forget what happens in societies where hatred is dominant, where hearts are petrified, where the victims cry for help, but no one hears them because of some reasons we think are “right”, and what happens when we all lose our consciousness, given to us with love by our Creator, so that we can act knowingly and willingly.
We know that we cannot change the past, but we can change the future without getting lost in the pain of the past and by carrying these pains with us, integrating with the fact that the memories of these victims were not meaningless and keeping them alive in this way.
Therefore, let’s take our effective steps bravely, and by getting strength from each other...
In this respect, I remember and commemorate with love and affection, firstly our respectable Consul of Rhodes, Mr. Selahattin Ülkümen who acted at the cost of their lives in the most difficult times and with no obligation, and even sometimes, despite the daily actions of their states and their dreams for the future; our diplomatic staff who saved my great aunt and her daughters in Paris and all the renowned or unknown Righteous Among the Nations...
Again, in this context, I have to point out that we have been active observers at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for the last 10 years, but I believe that we should become members in the full sense. Turkey would be of major contributor to this community. There is a need for a bridge between the Islamic world and this alliance, and only Turkey can achieve this. Thus, the vision of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance can be improved. I hereby would like to thank our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its members who approached this issue in the most sensitive way.
Through the lessons learned from the Holocaust, we should and would be able to contribute to raising awareness of xenophobia and especially Islamophobia and other hate-induced discriminations that have developed in parallel with antisemitism in the recent years…
Sometimes when we talk about the fact that this education should be widely spread, especially in our schools and that the Holocaust should never be forgotten, there are some oppositions that imply and express that we, as Jews, play the victim and take advantage of the Holocaust...
I would like to ask everyone once again: Which of us would seek sympathy and right to exist due to victimization? Which of us would like to raise children on the basis of this distorted thought? However, in order to avoid these suffering, we continue our way despite all these distorted discourses, and we will carry on together.
While ending my speech, with the awareness that societies can evolve to the extent that they can make room for differences, in the world of our Creator, who created us in His Image, with all our differences; let’s say “Never Again” together to those like the Nazis who want to massacre Him in gas chambersr and to those who try to keep this happiness away from us,
let’s extend our promise beyond just being a slogan.
Let’s make an effort to leave our children a better world, which we are responsible for…
I revere with respect the lives, the loving memories and suffering of all the people who lost their lives on this path.
Yehi Zihram Baruh