RESOLUTION – EUJS’ dedication to Shoah Remembrance and Education

Motion 0522

General Assembly – August 26, 2022

Name of Union Submitting Policy:

Union des Etudiants Juifs de Belgique (UEJB)

Seconded by:

Jüdische Studierendenunion Deutschland (JSUD)

Union of Jewish Students (UJS)

Preamble:

With the last Shoah survivors passing away, it is imperative to undertake innovative and swift action towards the promotion of Shoah remembrance and education. The younger generations will soon be responsible for educating their peers on the history of the Shoah and the importance of remembering. Being aware of this responsibility, Shoah education has been an integral part of the EUJS’ mission.

EUJS notes that:

1. Both the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/7 (2005)^[1] and the UNESCO General Conference Resolution 34C/61 (2007)^[2] on Holocaust Remembrance emphasize the historical significance of the Shoah and outline the importance of teaching this event as a contribution to the prevention of genocide and atrocity crimes.
2. Shoah denial and distortion are antisemitic according to the examples provided with the IHRA Working Definition on Antisemitism^[3].

^[1]https://documents-ddsny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N05/487/96/PDF/N0548796.pdf?OpenElement

^[2]https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000153837 

^[3] What is antisemitism? | IHRA

EUJS believes that:

1. Shoah education is an important part of the organization’s mission and has led multiple online and offline education sessions on the subject.
2. Its partnership network is a valuable source of reliable information and educational resources that should be utilized.
3. Today’s Jewish students are expected to share then take over the responsibility of Shoah education and remembrance.

EUJS resolves to:

1. Affirm the necessity of Shoah education for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences.
2. Exploring different and innovative approaches to contemporary Shoah remembrance and education.
   • Promote the use of social media platforms and contemporary media to educate younger audiences about the Shoah and its implications for Jewish life.
   • Give a platform to experts to provide educational content tailored to different ages and knowledge levels.
3.  Working in partnership with Remembrance organizations and memorials to sharetools, audiences, and access.
4.  Uplifting the survivors’ voices, their memories, and the moral value of their testimonies for the future.
5.  Push for the exclusive use of the Hebrew word “Shoah” as opposed to the term Holocaust” in all EUJS’ written and spoken communications when mentioning the attempt to eradicate the Jewish people and culture.
   • The term “Holocaust” implies a sacrifice that does not reflect the Shoah as an attempt to systematically eliminate the entirety of the Jewish people and their culture.
   • It should be noted that “Shoah” only refers to the Jewish genocide. For the other minorities targeted by the genocide, specific terms like “Roma genocide”, that are used by organizations representing said minorities, should be used.
6.  Promote EUJS’ as well as national unions’ involvement in organizing and participating in local commemorative events.
   • EUJS should equip national unions with access to its network of memory organizations should they require it.
   • Involve all parts of civil society in the remembrance work and support remembrance actions led by appropriate non-Jewish organizations
7.  Organize a yearly Shoah education seminar to educate Jewish and non-Jewish youth on the history and impacts of the Shoah and on the advocacy around it.
8. Include in its Shoah education materials the diversity of experiences of the Shoah by Jewish populations but also of the other minorities who suffered from it including but not limited to Romani people, Poles and other Slavic peoples, LGBTQIA+ individuals, individuals with physical and mental disabilities, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and members of political opposition groups.