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‘Silence in the face of hatred is complicity’: Honouring Holocaust Remembrance Day with Jasmine Kranat

Author: Hilary Creamer Robinson

Posted on Jan 27, 2025

Category: UNB Saint John , UNB Fredericton

Jasmine Kranat

In commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the University of New Brunswick’s (UNB) Human Rights and Equity Office is hosting a workshop led by Jasmine Kranat, founder of the Atlantic Canada Holocaust Education Foundation (ACHEF).

Kranat’s dedication to justice, education and combating hate through education was ignited by her own experience with a violent antisemitic attack when she was 13 years old.

As a lawyer and chief curator of ACHEF’s travelling Holocaust Education Exhibit, she works tirelessly to preserve Holocaust history and promote understanding.

In the following Q&A, Kranat shares her insights on the importance of Holocaust education, how to ensure survivor stories resonate and the crucial lessons we must learn from this dark chapter in history.

Jasmine, what inspired you to found the Atlantic Canada Holocaust Education Foundation, and how has your personal experience shaped your approach to Holocaust education?

I was inspired to establish the ACHEF after witnessing protesters around the world, including in Fredericton, comparing themselves to Jews in the ghettos during the Holocaust by wearing yellow stars as part of their opposition to vaccine mandates. Seeing this, I thought, 'If people truly understood what life in the ghettos entailed—the systemic discrimination, dehumanization, the massacres and ultimately the genocide—they would never make such a comparison.' This made it clear to me that there was a significant lack of Holocaust education and awareness.

Having experienced antisemitism myself, including a violent attack at the age of 13 that led my family to immigrate to New Brunswick, I know firsthand the impact of ignorance and hate. Yet, I chose to channel these experiences into education and advocacy, driven by the belief that we can educate away hate. I realized that education is one of the most effective ways to combat Holocaust denial, distortion and inversion. This inspired me to curate a travelling Holocaust Education Exhibit, designed to reach both students and the broader public, providing them with an opportunity to learn about the Holocaust in a meaningful and impactful way.

As the great-granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to tell the stories of survival and resistance—both those of my family, even though I do not know their full story, and those of others in my community. These accounts have instilled in me a commitment to ensure that their experiences are never forgotten. I believe that when people learn about the history of antisemitism, contemporary antisemitism and the breadth of the Holocaust, they develop a deeper sense of compassion and empathy. This understanding inspires individuals to stand up against Holocaust jokes, denial and antisemitism, fostering a more informed and compassionate society.

In your experience as an educator, what are some of the most effective ways to get people to listen and understand, ensuring that stories resonate now and continue to resonate with future generations?

I find that the most effective way is to humanize the Holocaust.

Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg once said, “There were not six million Jews murdered; there was one murder, six million times.” This quote emphasizes the power of telling the human story. It is one thing to state that 33,771 people were massacred at Babi Yar from Sept. 29 to 30, 1941, but what does that really mean? It means entire lives, generations and traditions were wiped out in an instant. It means recipes that were passed down, lullabies sung to children, bedtime stories that sparked dreams and family names that carried histories—all disappeared in a moment.

In Jewish culture and religion, we recite the names of the deceased every year on the anniversary of their death, ensuring their memory lives on. But who says the names of those millions whose stories were cut short? Behind every number is a name, a life and a unique story of resilience, love and humanity.

As an educator, I aim to bring these stories to life through testimony, personal narratives and connecting historical events to their human impact. It is also critical to teach that the Holocaust did not happen overnight. It was the culmination of decades—if not centuries—of unchecked antisemitism that festered within society. By examining how prejudice and hatred manifested in the past, students and audiences can better recognize these patterns today.

To ensure these stories resonate with future generations, I encourage students and members of the public to focus on compassion and empathy. By understanding the humanity behind the events, they can connect with the experiences of others and develop a deeper awareness of the consequences of hatred. I also encourage critical reflection on their own roles in standing up against injustice and antisemitism in all its forms.

In your opinion, what is the single most important lesson that people today need to learn about the Holocaust?

In my opinion, the single most important lesson that people today need to learn about the Holocaust is how unchecked hatred, prejudice and indifference can lead to unimaginable atrocities. The Holocaust did not begin with concentration camps and mass killings—it began with words, propaganda and the dehumanization of an entire group of people. Over time, this hatred became normalized, leading to systemic discrimination, violence and ultimately genocide.

This lesson is not just about understanding the past; it is about recognizing the warning signs of intolerance and hatred in our own time. It is about standing up against antisemitism, racism and all forms of discrimination before they escalate. The Holocaust teaches us that silence in the face of hatred is complicity and that we all have a responsibility to act with compassion and courage when we see injustice. Most importantly, it reminds us that we must strive to be compassionate people who lead with empathy and understanding, rather than with hate or indifference.