Against Hate: Expanding Holocaust Memory

Every year, Tel Aviv University publishes two reports addressing antisemitism:

1. On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day – the “For A Righteous Cause" report, which reviews initiatives to combat antisemitism and promote Holocaust education;

2. On the eve of Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day – the Annual Antisemitism Worldwide Report, which surveys various global trends.

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Amid the recent years’ wave of antisemitism worldwide, the “For A Righteous Cause” report, published for the fourth year by The Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University, highlights an encouraging phenomenon: new exhibitions and museums commemorating the Holocaust and heroism that have opened or are under construction in Muslim countries. Their activities have not ceased even after the October 7 massacre and the escalation in antisemitic propaganda across the Muslim world. Among these are the “Indonesian Holocaust Museum” on the island of Sulawesi, the permanent exhibition on the Holocaust and Righteous Among the Nations “We Remember” at the Museum of the Crossroads of Civilizations in Dubai, and the “Besa Museum” and the Museum of the History of Albanian Jews, currently being built in Tirana and Vlora, Albania, respectively.

The “For A Righteous Cause” report, comprising 80 pages, was authored by a team of nine experts. The report recognizes governmental and private initiatives commemorating the Holocaust and heroism, combating antisemitism, and fighting racism in general, alongside policy suggestions for their improvement.

According to Professor Uriya Shavit, Head of the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, “Holocaust denial and the flourishing of antisemitic propaganda in the Muslim world are not just distortions of history but also encouragements to violence. The museums established and being established in the Muslim world are ‘a small amount of light’, but this small amount is significant”. Dr. Carl Yonker, Senior Researcher and Project Manager at the Center, stated: “Direct or indirect support from Israel for these museums would harm them, but it is appropriate for international institutions to offer such support and insist on eradicating Holocaust denial from educational institutions in Muslim countries, as everywhere else”.

Prof. Uriya Shavit.

The “Indonesian Holocaust Museum” in the world's largest Muslim country, features written information alongside visual documentation of Nazi crimes, including a replica of a bunk bed from a concentration camp, and information about neo-antisemitism and Holocaust denial. The museum was opened two years ago by Ya‘akov Baruch, a local rabbi of Dutch descent. Immediately after its opening, leading Islamic leaders called for its immediate closure, accusing Baruch of promoting the Zionist narrative and whitewashing “Israel's crimes”.

In a special interview for the report, Rabbi Baruch explained that he dealt with the harsh criticism through dialogue, during which he assured opponents that the museum is not connected to Israel or Zionism. This ensured its continued operation. To date, approximately 2,000 people have visited the museum. School classes visit it, but there are days when no more than one person purchases a ticket.

The permanent Holocaust memorial exhibition in Dubai was established by businessman and collector Ahmed Al Mansuri. It includes documentation of the history of Nazism and its crimes against Jews, alongside information about Muslims who saved Jews during the Holocaust. At the center of the exhibition is a poster in Arabic, English, and Hebrew quoting the Mishnah: “Whoever saves a single soul is as if they have saved an entire world.” Al Mansuri said in an interview for the report that since the permanent exhibition opened two years ago, about 2,500 people from the UAE and Gulf states have visited, alongside thousands of local school students. Throughout its existence, even after October 7, only one school group that came to the museum refused to visit. Al Mansuri emphasized in the interview the uniqueness of Nazi crimes and the importance of Arab educators teaching about the Holocaust and its lessons. He noted that following October 7, he had not received threats or demands to close the museum. The “Besa Museum”, currently being built in Tirana, celebrates the ancient Albanian moral code obligating the protection of neighbors and guests, which was central to Albania’s unique rescue efforts during the Holocaust.

One of the main articles in the report addresses the perception of Judaism by Jerry Seinfeld and the show “Seinfeld”. According to the article, episodes of “Seinfeld” from the 1990s, particularly those dealing with Holocaust remembrance and antisemitism, reflected an era in which American Jews, most prominently Seinfeld himself, did not feel like a minority group but rather as representatives of American identity itself. This era has been shaken in recent years, as evidenced by Seinfeld’s firm stance, having previously avoided politics, in support of Israel after October 7. Other articles in the report discuss the new and controversial National Holocaust Memorial Museum in the Netherlands, the unique story of Gibraltar's Jewish community and its response to anti-Zionist protests in the small territory following the October 7 attack, Jewish youth in Britain and the US and their identity questions in the shadow of war, and the journey of a young American from leading a white supremacist movement to fighting racism in general and antisemitism in particular.

The report also includes a special interview with Sir Max Hastings, one of Britain’s leading historians of the Second World War, calling for a radical change in the way the Holocaust is taught in Western schools. Hastings warns in the interview of the West’s unwillingness to confront the security challenges threatening its sovereignty and institutions.

Read the full report >>