March of the Living Commemorates Holocaust Victims in Video
March of the Living Commemorates Victims of the Holocaust in Budapest
The victims of the Holocaust were remembered during the March of the Living in Budapest on Sunday. The march followed a route between two memorials to forced labourers. Over 100,000 Jews and non-Jews from Hungary were used as forced labourers from 1939, and 60,000 of them did not survive.
Gábor Gordon, who heads the board of trustees of the March of the Living Foundation, said this year’s march honours the memory of forced labourers. He hoped that commemorating the victims would help people to speak out against inequality and intolerance.
Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life, acknowledged the thriving Jewish life in Budapest. However, eight out of ten Hungarian Jews still say that anti-Semitism is a problem. She welcomed the Hungarian government’s efforts to draft a national strategy against anti-Semitism.
Israeli ambassador to Hungary, Yacov Hadas-Handelsman, emphasized that education plays an important role in combating anti-Semitism. He said that the younger generation must be made aware of the crimes committed during the Holocaust.
David Pressman, the US Ambassador to Hungary, said that the March of the Living serves to remember and educate people. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to recommit to engaging with others with whom they don’t see eye to eye and standing up against those who target the vulnerable.
The march in Budapest is one of many worldwide events held annually to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. It hopes to raise awareness and promote dialogue against anti-Semitism, racism, and intolerance.
