New Zealand Holocaust commemorations as antisemitism surges
As New Zealand observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, January 27, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand says that the “warning signs” of the 1945 atrocities are “again visible today.”
Deborah Hart
With public commemorations scheduled nationwide, the Centre is urging Kiwis to confront a “difficult truth”: the dark forces that fueled the Shoah never truly vanished. The events, marking the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, serve as a grim reminder of the cost of “silence” and “complicity” in the face of rising global antisemitism.
HCNZ Chair Deborah Hart framed the week’s events as a call to action, noting that “remembrance is not only about history” but about what the public “chooses to tolerate now.
“Antisemitism is the world’s oldest hatred, and it is growing again—globally and here at home,” Hart stated. She cautioned that when Jewish communities are targeted, it serves as a “signal that society’s moral boundaries are weakening.”
Hart underscored that the Holocaust “began with words, not gas chambers,” pointing to a modern surge in conspiracy theories and “dehumanising language” as evidence that the lessons of the past are under threat.
A key pillar of this year’s commemorations is the role of “Holocaust education” in schools. Under a landmark Government commitment, the subject is set to become mandatory within the draft Years 0–10 Social Sciences curriculum.
For the younger generation, the mission is personal. Auckland student Josh Korpus, set to co-host the city’s commemoration, says he carries an “inheritance” of responsibility rather than just trauma.
“I carry the story forward so the world can’t pretend it didn’t happen, and so hate doesn’t get another try,” Korpus said, adding that his goal is to “protect human dignity” in an era where some lives are still treated as “mattering less.”
The Centre’s nationwide events will honour the six million Jewish victims, alongside the Roma community, LGBTQ+ individuals, political dissenters, and the disabled.
For Hart and the HCNZ, the goal of the week is clear: remembrance must translate into “action” within schools, online spaces, and local communities to ensure that “prejudice” never again becomes “policy.”
Commemorations in NZ:
- Auckland, 2.30pm, Sunday 25 January. Keynote speakers are Cindy Kiro, Governor General of NZ, Dr Stephen Rainbow, Chief Human Rights Commissioner and Mark Mitchell.
- Hamilton, 3.30pm, Sunday 25 January, with Hamilton Mayor Tim MacIndoe
- Wellington, 5.30pm, Tuesday 27 January at Parliament, hosted by Chris Bishop
- Blenheim: 5pm, Thursday 29 January, with the Mayor of Marlborough District Council, Nadine Taylor
- Christchurch, 5pm, Thursday 29 January, with keynote speakers Prof Giacomo Lichtner and Alfred Ngaro
