These Powerful Tweets & Photos for Holocaust Memorial Day Will Make Your Heart Hurt

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day–which is a hard day for many families who have lost their loved ones during the Holocaust. As a way to honor Holocaust Remembrance Day, many people shared photographs of their families with their relatives who survived the Holocaust–and tweeted messages in solidarity.

Here are some of my favorites below:

This #HolocaustMemorialDay, Lydia Tischler recalls the horrors she faced in Auschwitz, and the spirit that survived. pic.twitter.com/59denqFlEq

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) January 27, 2017

My grandparents survived the Holocaust b/c of the kindness of strangers and luck. & came to the us as refugees. #HolocaustMemorialDay

— Ashley Gold (@ashleyrgold) January 27, 2017

In Hebrew School we spent a lot of time learning about Hitler. Not just the Holocaust, about his rise to power and events leading up to it.

— OhNoSheTwitnt (@OhNoSheTwitnt) November 18, 2016

Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. ― Elie Wiesel #HolocaustMemorialDay

— Penguin Random House (@penguinrandom) January 27, 2017

On #HolocaustMemorialDay: 1939 US visa that saved my mom’s life. Other relatives couldn’t get out.
Shameful that today we’re closing doors. pic.twitter.com/rLbnhqG1XL

— Andrew Schapiro (@AndySchapiro) January 27, 2017

#WeRemember. Every day. Together. Thank you for supporting our campaign, @EU_Commission, @EU_Justice and @kschnurbein! pic.twitter.com/voGbaLlpus

— (((WJC))) (@WorldJewishCong) January 24, 2017

Remembering in Pakistan. Thank you! #WeRemember pic.twitter.com/lZY3KfuON8

— (((WJC))) (@WorldJewishCong) January 24, 2017

I celebrate my grandparents, Evelyn and Joseph Greenblatt on this #holocaustmemorialday – we must never forget the lessons that created Nazi Germany. And we must always remember the bravery of those survivors who’s greatest fight was to simply live.

A photo posted by Josh Gad (@joshgad) on Jan 27, 2017 at 5:17am PST

Today I’m remembering my amazing grandparents, who gave up everything and left behind their accomplished and beautiful life to flee #Nazi Germany with my young mom. Let’s not let history repeat itself – today we should provide the same welcome mat that many countries rolled out for the millions of people that escaped the nazi’s to those people fleeing #Syria and other oppressed countries. #holocaustmemorialday #freedom #syrianrefugees #holocaust

A photo posted by amy sacks (@ravishing_radishes) on Jan 27, 2017 at 8:42am PST

A picture I took last summer of two people praying at the Death Wall in #Auschwitz. More important than ever to remember the evil humans are capable of inflicting on eachother. #HolocaustMemorialDay

A photo posted by Karl Duff (@karlduff) on Jan 27, 2017 at 8:55am PST

As the Granddaughter of Holocaust Survivors, I Can’t Stay Silent About This

The Holocaust, Through the Stories of my Grandmother

Joanna C. Valente

Joanna Valente is the former Staff Writer at Kveller. Joanna is the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Xenos, and Marys of the Sea, and received an MFA at Sarah Lawrence College. You can follow @joannasaid on Twitter and @joannacvalente on Instagram.