Europe was liberated, but were the Jews?

Eighty years ago, Allied forces liberated Europe from the grip of Nazi tyranny. A few months earlier, in January 1945, Soviet troops entered Auschwitz, revealing the full horror of the Holocaust to the world. Eighty years ago, the systematic murder of Jews was finally over, but antisemitism remained. Now, as hatred of Jews surges around the world, we must ask the awful question: Is liberation from the Nazis complete if antisemitism survives?

Antisemitism never left; it evolved. Today, the far right embraces Holocaust denial and distortion, and in countries across Europe, politicians and public figures downplay their countries’ complicity in Nazi crimes. The far left often equates Zionism with Nazism, portraying Israel as a settler colonial oppressor while ignoring the Jewish connection to the land. Islamist extremism, meanwhile, is a toxic blend of traditional Muslim antisemitism, combined with Nazi-inspired ideology, Holocaust denial, and medieval blood libels. This lethal mix was evident in the October 7 massacre, where Israeli soldiers discovered copies of Mein Kampf in Hamas strongholds, alongside evidence of premeditated brutality.

Anti-Israeli activism increasingly crosses the line into outright antisemitism, with calls for Israel’s violent destruction heard on American campuses and in European cities. Today in Europe, synagogues are attacked while Jewish schools are guarded by police. American Jews are reporting skyrocketing numbers of antisemitic incidents, Jewish students at elite universities face harassment, and in the Middle East Holocaust denial and Jewish conspiracy theories are rampant. These problems are exacerbated by social media, which under the guise of free speech often amplify antisemitic tropes.

But statistics alone don’t capture the full picture. Around the world, Jews are hiding their identities out of fear. People remove kippot, tuck away Stars of David, or avoid speaking Hebrew in public. Synagogues and cemeteries are desecrated, while Jewish students sometimes require police escorts just to walk across campus. The level of hostility has become daily life.

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists gather for a protest at Columbia University, October 12, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

Antisemitism is not just racism – it is a shape-shifting conspiracy theory that casts Jews as both powerless and all-powerful, making them scapegoats across ideologies and generations, and ensuring that even after the Holocaust, the same deadly lies still force Jews to live in fear.

That is why antisemitism must be treated not as a niche Jewish issue, but as a civilizational threat – one that undermines truth, corrodes democracy, and spreads hatred far beyond the Jewish community. We must adopt clear frameworks, like the IHRA definition of antisemitism, to identify and confront this hatred wherever it appears. It should be enforced by governments, universities, and businesses. Social media platforms must remove antisemitic content, while cultural institutions should robustly challenge libelous comparisons, for example Gaza and the Warsaw Ghetto. Free speech is important, but not if it rises to the level of incitement – after October 7, antisemitic posts on social media increased dramatically. Security funding must be given to Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers, while legal action must be taken against those who incite violence against Jews.

Holocaust education plays a key role in this process, as both a history lesson and a warning of the dangers of dehumanization for today’s society. At its best, it brings history to life, showing students the relationship between dehumanization and genocide and providing them with the tools to recognize and challenge antisemitism, conspiracy theories, and racist hate speech. A Yad Vashem study found that hearing a Holocaust survivor speak reduces dehumanization of Jews by 30%, while the USC Shoah Foundation has found that students exposed to survivor testimonies are more likely to reject hate speech and stand up against discrimination. Most significantly, countries with mandatory Holocaust education report lower levels of antisemitic violence and conspiracy theories; Germany’s Holocaust educational model has produced a 40% drop in far-right antisemitism among young people.

One educational initiative that continues to resonate deeply is the March of the Living. Walking from Auschwitz to Birkenau with survivors confronts students with the reality of genocide and inspires civic commitment. Surveys show lasting effects – stronger Jewish identity and a greater resolve to fight hate. It is a moral imperative that programs like these are expanded and supported by governments and civil society alike.

Defeating antisemitism is vital for society at large, not just Jews, because it prevents the erosion of democratic values. Antisemitism thrives on conspiracy theories, dehumanization, and scapegoating – once normalized, other minorities also become the targets for these tactics. Antisemitism frequently leads to wider repression, as in Nazi Germany. Antisemitism reduces trust in institutions, fuels extremism, and distorts public discourse. Combating antisemitism involves reasserting universal principles of equality, truth, and human dignity, protecting not just Jews but all vulnerable groups.

The fight against antisemitism is the fight for the soul of civilization. Eighty years after Auschwitz, Jews are still fighting for the freedom promised in 1945. True liberation means more than defeating tyrants – it means dismantling the hatred that enabled them. As the last survivors leave us, their final lesson is clear: Never Again is not a slogan. It is a demand.ֿ