Today, January 27th, marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. For me, these anniversaries are deeply personal. Almost all of my family on my father’s side were murdered during the Holocaust. Walking through Auschwitz a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but wonder: did I stand on the same spot as one of my relatives? How many of them perished in the very gas chamber I visited?
But Auschwitz, as haunting as it is, represents only part of the story. The Holocaust wasn’t just about concentration camps—it was about erasing Jewish life entirely. Visiting Polish towns that were once full of vibrant, thriving Jewish communities, and now finding nothing, is a stark reminder of this horrifying goal.
And yet, the fight against antisemitism is far from over. Through my role as Senior Adviser with the European Jewish Association, I am committed to ensuring that Jewish communities today feel safe, supported, and seen. Whether it is promoting the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, safeguarding religious freedoms, or building bridges with society at large, every step is a tribute to those who came before us.
Especially now, in light of the horrors we witnessed after the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, this work feels even more urgent. It is impossible to separate the past from the present, as we see hostages returning to freedom, reflecting resilience even in the face of modern hatred and violence.
Today, we visited an exhibition on the Holocaust in the local library of our small hometown of Ystad in Sweden. Watching my daughter, with a little help from my wife Vega, light the candle of remembrance outside the library was profoundly moving. In that moment, I was struck by the weight of history and the resilience of life. She is the living proof that Hitler failed.
Hitler’s goal was to destroy Jewish life completely—to make it disappear. But here we are, three generations later, standing together, remembering, and fighting for a better future. My grandparents would have been proud of the life we’ve built and the work I am doing to ensure that their memory, and the memory of millions, is never forgotten.
Because in the end, Hitler failed.