Jackie Mayzenberg staff writer 

People across the globe came together to reflect on the atrocities of the Holocaust and to honor the victims for “International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust,” on Jan. 27.

Nations worldwide use this day to recognize and remember the unforgivable murder of 11 million lost Jews, Sinti, Slavs, Romas, members of the LGBTQ+ community, disabled persons, and others harmed by the systematic mass murder known as the Holocaust.

Many students at Beverly have grown up learning about the Holocaust and reflecting on the horrors that occurred under the Nazi Regime. Senior Michael Newman felt especially close to this loss.

“To me, the Holocaust is very personal and tragic. Growing up, I would hear stories from survivors…many lost almost all members of their family. It’s unthinkable how something so tragic could happen,” Newman said.

Senior Joshua Naydavood in the same way was incredibly touched by this matter.

“It is not something to be taken lightly in any conversation. Spreading awareness about the Holocaust is important rfor several reasons. To keep this short, the main and most important reason is so that other mass genocide would never happen again,” Naydavood said.

This Day of Rememberance, 75 years after the end of the Holocaust, Beverly students still took time to remember.

“I took time to educate myself more. I learned about some great heroes during the Holocaust who saved thousands of Jewish women, men, and children,” Newman said.

“I went to the temple and prayed for their souls and Neshama,” Naydavood said.

Some, like senior Jasmine Amin, used their social media platforms to spread awareness and information about the atrocities that occurred.

“I feel like right now, in a pandemic, there aren’t a lot of ways to communicate with people anymore,” Amin said. “Sharing it with the 700 people who follow me gives me some peace of mind that I’m spreading awareness. Even though I’m not able to use my voice, I’m able to use my social media platform.”

Newman wants to remind fellow students that though the Holocaust may be over, it’s still relevant to the millions of families affected by the Shoah.

“People are used to hearing how 6 million Jewish people died in The Holocaust, but many don’t understand the stories of those who perished,” he said. “Awareness of the Holocaust is important if we want to make sure something so tragic never happens again to any group.”