This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Held on Jan. 27, Holocaust Remembrance Day is not only about remembering the past; it is about ensuring that memory remains real, personal, and meaningful in the present. As survivors age and firsthand testimony becomes less accessible, the responsibility to bear witness increasingly falls to younger generations. On college campuses, where historical memory often competes with fast-moving headlines and political slogans, that responsibility matters more than ever.
confronting history
In December, I traveled to Poland and visited Auschwitz-Birkenau—one of the worst concentration camps, part of a network of more than 40 complexes operated during World War II. Walking through the camp was not like reading a textbook or watching a documentary. It was confronting history in physical form. The glass cases filled with shoes, hair, and glasses were not abstract symbols of hatred but rather traces of individual lives that were taken. Entering a gas chamber—and, even more powerfully, walking back out—made the scale of what happened there impossible to ignore or minimize, unlike when history is reduced to numbers in a textbook.
Experiences like these help explain why direct encounters with history, whether through visiting historic sights, hearing survivor testimony, or engaging deeply with primary accounts, play such a powerful role in Holocaust remembrance. Memory that is grounded in real places and real stories is harder to distort, dismiss, or forget.
When memory becomes a responsibility
The sense of urgency here is real. The director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum recently warned that the world is entering a time when memory is needed “far, far more than we ever imagined.” What is at stake is not only historical accuracy, but moral clarity. As victims and witnesses to this period of history pass, the Holocaust risks becoming abstract, something debated, politicized, or distorted rather than understood as the systematic murder of millions of people. Remembering these victims is a collective responsibility, since memory is one of the few safeguards against denial, indifference, and the gradual normalization of hatred.
resilience
One of the most powerful moments of my trip came at sundown, outside the former death camp, when our group lit a menorah for Hanukkah. We sang and danced together in a place built to erase Jewish life. This moment was an act of remembrance and resilience. It captured something essential about why memory matters: it’s not only about mourning what was lost, but about affirming that Jewish life continues.
remembrance on campus
On campus, Holocaust Remembrance Day can either feel distant or symbolic, marked by a flyer, an event, or a brief moment of silence. Remembrance should go deeper than that. Students today are often exposed to misinformation, oversimplified narratives, or rhetoric that minimizes antisemitism or distorts Jewish history. Without strong education and meaningful engagement, historical memory can fade or become neglected. Opportunities to learn about the Holocaust not only give you access to learn facts, but also to confront the human reality behind them. Whether through survivor testimonies, museum exhibits, films, or conversations, these efforts help ensure that remembrance remains active rather than passive.
seeing with your own eyes
There is also a broader lesson about the power of seeing places and events with one’s own eyes.
Many people speak about how visiting Israel changes their understanding of its history, complexity, and significance. Similarly, visiting Holocaust sites transforms memory from something obscure into something immediate and personal. These experiences do not dictate what someone must think, but they do make it harder to ignore the weight of history.
For students who may never travel to Poland or meet a survivor, the challenge is to seek out alternative ways of bearing witness, whether that means attending events, reading firsthand accounts, listening to testimony, or engaging seriously with history. Remembrance requires effort and attention; it’s not something easily dismissed.
responsibility
Holocaust Remembrance Day is not only about looking backward: it is about recognizing the consequences of forgetting. Memory, when preserved and shared, serves as a safeguard against denial, distortion, and indifference. On college campuses, where ideas shape the next generation, that responsibility is especially significant.
The generation of survivors entrusted us with their stories, so it’s our responsibility to determine how we will carry them forward.