A photo exhibition about the Holocaust opened at the Control Yuan Wednesday, with the aim of focusing on the harm of racial discrimination and the importance of defending human rights, according to Taiwan’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
As part of several events being held by the NHRC ahead of Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, the exhibition, titled “SHOAH — How was it humanly possible?,” features 18 images reproduced from the photo collection of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, about the genocide of European Jews from 1933 to 1945.
Speaking about the reason for holding the show, Control Yuan President and NHRC Chairperson Chen Chu (??) said that Wednesday marked the 80th anniversary of the start of Nazi Germany’s extermination campaign at the Chelmno killing center, where poison gas was used for the mass killing of Jews.
Historical sites of injustice, such as the killing center, bear testimony to “the darkest time for human history” and provide venues where future generations may learn about history and its lessons, Chen said.
The exhibition, which will run through Dec. 22, serves to remind people that this cruel history must not be repeated again, she added.
About 192,000 Holocaust survivors are still living in Israel today, but as they get older, soon very few of them will be able to tell their story in person, Israeli Representative to Taiwan Omer Caspi said.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that these accounts be preserved and passed on to future generations, he said.
The Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei has paid special attention to promoting Holocaust remembrance and education in Taiwan, Caspi said. “We are devoted to telling the story of those who perished and those who survived.”
The office represents Israel’s interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel