Antisemitism – a shared European challenge

Antisemitism has been present for centuries, manifesting in various forms of (Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward 1 Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities (Working definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance IHRA) discrimination and violence 1 against the Jewish communities around Europe.

It culminated during the Holocaust – the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and murder of Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, perpetrated between 1933 and 1945 in front of the eyes of millions of bystanders. This continent-wide genocide destroyed individuals, families, communities, and cultures developed over centuries. After facing this unprecedented crime, post-war Europe was built upon the commitment of Europeans to ensure that such atrocities never happen again. We pledged to continue our shared future based on core democratic values: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human and civil rights. Still, antisemitism did not end.

Today, again, antisemitism is on the rise across Europe.
The program “From the Novi Sad Raid to Auschwitz – Novi Sad the Capital of the Remembrance Culture,” developed by Terraforming and a group of dedicated Serbian and international partners, is built around the three three pillars of the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life:

1. Preventing and combating all forms of antisemitism;
2. Protection and nurturing of Jewish life;
3. Education, research and remembrance of the Holocaust;

From 17 to 19 June, 2 through a series of public panel discussions, exhibitions, and performances, we will demonstrate our commitment to stand against antisemitism in all its forms, our dedication to fostering Jewish life, as well as improving research, education, and memorialization of the Holocaust.
During the three eventful days, we will explore a range of topics, such as:

• European cooperation on countering antisemitism through education;
• Antisemitism in times of social insecurity, misinformation, and fear;
• Graphic novel in teaching about the Holocaust;
• ew roles of archives, libraries, and museums in countering Holocaust distortion and denial;
• Future of remembrance in times without living survivors;
• Holocaust memory in the emerging landscape of digital cultural heritage;
• Gender perspectives in Holocaust education and countering antisemitism;

In 2022 we mark 80 years since the Novi Sad Raid, a series of military and police operations carried out by the Hungarian armed forces against the Serbian and Jewish civilians in January 1942. In this massacre, Hungarian fascists killed at least 1.400 people on the streets of Novi Sad and along the banks of the Danube. This event has forever changed the city and evolved into an inseparable part of its identity. During the program, we will examine the memorialization of the Novi Sad Raid as part of the shared European historical experience and an essential element in the European mosaic of Holocaust remembrance.

The program will reach its highlight when in partnership with the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture (AEPJ), we launch the European Days of Jewish Culture to celebrate life, culture, and our shared European future.