Skopje, 14 April 2026 (MIA) - The Jewish Community in the Republic of Macedonia and the Holocaust Fund of the Jews of Macedonia Tuesday marked Yom HaShoah - the Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and honoring the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust.

The President of the Jewish Community, Pepo Levi, said that today, April 14 according to the Jewish calendar, is dedicated to a silence that speaks louder than words, as Israel and the entire world bow in remembrance of the six million Jews, victims of Nazism and its fascist collaborators.

Levi said that “this day is not only a symbol of suffering, but also of the indestructible human spirit,” adding that today, Macedonia and the entire progressive world remember and do not forget not only the six million Jews killed in Nazi camps across Europe, but also the 7,144 Jews from Macedonia who were deported from here and exterminated in Treblinka.

“Here in the heart of the former Jewish neighborhood in Skopje, we have built a Memorial Center as a symbol of justice and lasting remembrance, and through denationalization we have shown that Macedonia respects the highest civilizational values. In doing so,” Levi added, “Macedonia has sent a clear message that it stands firmly against antisemitism and all messages of hate.”

“Since its opening in 2011, this center has stood as a stronghold against discrimination, hatred, and religious intolerance. Unfortunately, the current global picture shows that the lessons of World War II have not been fully learned. From Ukraine to the Middle East, we are witnessing new tragedies, destroyed childhoods, and thousands of displaced people. As we pay tribute to the six million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime, we are aware that history is once again putting us to the test,” Levi said.

Speaking about the attempt by unknown individuals to set fire to the Jewish synagogue in Skopje two days ago, Levi said that such an incident has not occurred in Macedonia’s recent history since the time of Nazi Germany, describing it as a culmination of hatred, religious intolerance and antisemitism.

“The culmination of a wish to annihilate a people solely because we are Jews. Ideas aimed at the destruction of other nations must be suppressed immediately, and we must not allow democracy to serve as a cover for spreading intolerance that leads to conflicts of catastrophic scale,” Levi said.

The Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in the country, Nicole Varnes, said in her address that the attack on the Jewish synagogue in Skopje must be strongly condemned, describing it as an act of antisemitism that allows no tolerance, silence or justification.

“Such attacks are not only attacks on the Jewish community, but also on the values, dignity, coexistence, and respect in our society,” Varnes said, adding that those responsible for this act will be brought to justice.

“We are obligated,” Varnes said, “to mark this day on which we remember the six million women, men, and children killed during the Holocaust and to pay tribute to the survivors, including in North Macedonia, where more than 7,000 Jews lived before World War II.”

President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was also present at the event, where she lit six candles in remembrance of the six million Jews killed during the World War II.

The film “Rescue” was screened, and an exhibition of children’s drawings titled “The Holocaust Through the Eyes of Children” was opened, with the best drawings announced and awards presented.

Photo/Video: MIA