Remembering those who were slaughtered at Auschwitz

January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates the extermination of some 6 million Jews by the Nazi regime. This year's anniversary is doubly important from a historical standpoint as it coincides with the 75-year anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the site of the martyrdom and sacrifice of 1.1 million people, among whom were some 55,000 Greek Jews.

During a recent visit to Auschwitz I saw signs of the Nazi atrocities, the monstrous footprint of horror. I saw the depths man can sink to and was frightened. This is why the memory of this horror needs to be kept alive amid the obliviousness of time.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is not just a ritualistic and historic occasion; it also needs to be treated as a deeply political and educational process: political, for the ceaseless battle we need to wage against racism,...