On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz, Auschwitz-Birkenau camps and of Genocide Day, at the request of B’nai B’rith France and its National Memory Commission, gatherings and moments of recollection were held in several cities in France, in partnership with other organisations. 

In Paris, the ceremony organized by B’nai B’rith France was held in recollection and emotion at the crypt of the Shoah Memorial in the presence of many members and presidents of the lodges and their friends. After the speech of President of B’nai B’rith France, Philippe Meyer, a minute of silence was held in memory of the victims of the Shoah, followed by the prayer of El Malé Rahamim, sung by the President of Lodge Jacob Kaplan, Jean-Marc Israel, and the Chief Rabbi of France, Haim Korsia. The Chief Rabbi also recited the Kaddish before the flame of remembrance. 

Moments of recollection were also organized and co-organized by B’nai B’rith lodges in Bordeaux, Deauville, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Metz, Marseille, Montpellier, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Nice, and Strasbourg. 

More than ever, the work of memory and the duty of transmission are an absolute necessity and must continue to be viewed as such.