On Monday, Jan. 27, a ceremony was held at the United Nations in New York City commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The event was attended by a full house to hear Marianne Miller, 90 year old Holocaust survivor and educator, describe her personal experiences during the Holocaust. She managed to survive despite unimaginable conditions and treatment, and the loss of many family members. Miller has dedicated her life to educating others about the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred and intolerance.
Miller’s participation in the commemoration at the UN was facilitated by March of the Living Deputy CEO Revital Yakin-Krakovsky, with the assistance of Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon. She and Yakin-Krakovsky met during the 2024 March of the Living.
Yakin-Krakovsky lauded Miller as “a living voice of hope, optimism and strength,” carrying the testimony of those murdered and the message of triumph from the generation of survivors. “Holocaust survivors are leaving us, and it is of immense importance to hear them, in their [own] voices, on the world’s most prominent stages, standing tall against Holocaust deniers and distorters, saying, ‘We were there.’”
Yakin-Krakovsky also thanked Danny Danon for his efforts in helping Marianne Miller to fulfill her aspiration of addressing the UN General Assembly.
Miller, born in Budapest during World War II, stood to represent all Holocaust survivors. “I represent today the 6 million Holocaust victims who were murdered just because they were Jewish. I demand the world remember what happened only 80 years ago,” Miller said.
Her parents were young. Before her father was sent to a labor camp, times were already hard. However, her mother wanted to become pregnant. Although her father was against it, saying, “You don’t bring a child into a world where death is waiting for them everywhere,” her mother insisted. “Maybe one of us will stay alive, and they will have a memory of the other.”
Miller shared a story about an unprecedented event that occurred in 1944, as her mother was marching together with other mothers and babies en route to Auschwitz. Miller’s mother offered her wedding ring as a bribe for her life and the life of her daughter, and they were spared. (See “The Ring,” 2024 Israeli film by Adir Miller, based on this true story.)
Her father’s story is similarly remarkable. At Bergen-Belsen, he survived on a single slice of bread per week, with the willpower to divide it into seven pieces, one per day. He weighed just 77 pounds when he was liberated.
“I came here today with my children and grandchildren, my personal answer to Hitler,” proclaimed Miller. “Antisemitism is lifting its ugly head again across the world. We must remember: God created people to love, not to hate. God wants to be proud of mankind, not ashamed of it.”
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who preceded Miller at the podium, was clear in accusing the UN and the International Criminal Court of “exhibiting moral bankruptcy…opt[ing] for outrageous hypocrisy… they blur the distinction between good and evil.”
He asked, “How is it possible that the moral compass of so many in the family of nations has become so disoriented…embracing the despicable phenomenon of Holocaust inversion.” Herzog’s remarks drew applause frequently throughout his address.
UN chief António Guterres made note of the growing global antisemitism, and implored the release of Israeli hostages as well as a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We welcome at long last the ceasefire and hostage release deal,” said Guterres. “The deal offers hope as well as much-needed relief. And we will do our utmost to ensure it leads to the release of all hostages.”
Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the UN, remarked, “Memory does not sustain itself. It needs to be protected, fought for and sustained so that even those who threaten it will not succeed in making it disappear. Pictures, testimonies and documents are for posterity, so that when the voices of denial rise, the truth will stand as an unshakable beacon of justice.”
Danon thanked Miller and her family for their efforts in contributing to the preservation of memory, the fight for justice and for their presence at the event. “The Holocaust is not just a historical memory; it is a call to action for the protection of the people of Israel and the fight against antisemitism. We will never forget.”
