On January 26, we gathered at Illinois Holocaust Museum for a powerful keynote by Tracy Perrelli, Acting Deputy Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues at the U.S. Department of State. Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Perrelli discussed the importance of Holocaust issues on U.S. foreign policy, and the Department of State efforts toward promoting Holocaust commemoration, education, and remembrance now and for the future.
Nearly 80 years ago, Allied and Soviet troops moved across Europe in a series of offensives against Nazi Germany, uncovering concentration camps and mass graves, and exposing the shocking magnitude of Nazi horrors. On January 27, 1945, they liberated the Auschwitz complex. Today, that date marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Photo credit: George LeClaire