Holocaust Remembrance Day to focus on generational responsibility

Australia’s annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration will be held next Tuesday, 27 January, hosted by the Sydney Jewish Museum in partnership with the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants.

The date is observed worldwide as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the liberation of Auschwitz and recognised by the United Nations since 2005 as a global commitment to honour the victims of the Holocaust and confront antisemitism and intolerance.

The Sydney commemoration will bring together the Governor-General, Holocaust survivors and descendants, diplomats, academics and community leaders. It takes place just weeks after the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach during Chanukah, giving added urgency to this year’s theme, Bridging Generations.

At the centre of the event are survivor testimonies and family histories, underscoring how Holocaust memory must be carried forward beyond those who lived through it. The theme highlights the responsibility of children and grandchildren, and of wider society, to preserve these accounts and apply their lessons in the present.

Governor-General Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC will address the gathering. The keynote address will be delivered by University of Sydney academic Professor Sabina Kleytman, who will reflect on the life of her father, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman. After surviving the Shoah, he was killed in the Bondi attack on December 14, a tragedy Professor Kleytman will link to the realities of contemporary antisemitism in Australia.

A panel discussion titled Holocaust Remembrance Today in the Shadow of Contemporary Antisemitism will feature Professor Avril Alba from the University of Sydney, Professor Jan Lanicek from UNSW, and third-generation leader Michelle Levitt.

Survivors and their families will take part in a candle-lighting ceremony. Musical contributions will be provided by Rabbi George Mordecai and Ilan Kidron.

President of the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants George Foster OAM said the theme underscored the role of younger generations in ensuring memory remains active and relevant.

“As time passes, remembrance depends on those who listen, learn and pass these stories on,” he said. “Intergenerational dialogue is central to that task.”

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration will be held on Tuesday 27 January 2026 at Emanuel Synagogue, 7 Ocean Street, Woollahra, from 6pm. Tickets are free but bookings are essential. Further details are available at https://sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/international-holocaust-remembrance-day-2026/.