Shanghai marks Holocaust Remembrance Day

A ceremony was held in Shanghai on Monday for Holocaust Remembrance Day to honor the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.

Consul generals from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United States attended the ceremony held by the Consulate General of Israel in Shanghai.

Consuls lit six white candles to represent the 6 million victims.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is determined by the Jewish calendar. This year, it begins at sundown on Wednesday and ends on the evening of Thursday.

The number of Holocaust victims accounted for two-thirds of the Jewish population in Europe at the time and included approximately 2 million women and 1 million children. 

During World War II, more than 23,000 Jews fled to Shanghai to seek refuge from Nazi persecution. 

“Every year, we remember our compatriots on this day and encourage the living,” said Eyal Propper, the Israeli consul general in Shanghai. 

“People who are alive don’t forget those who have passed away. It’s very symbolic to have this here, because Shanghai was a city that in the time of persecution, in the time of evil, of terror, of occupation, gave shelter to more than 20,000 Jews. It’s to remember, and never forget.”