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KATHMANDU, Jan 28, 2026: The Embassy of Israel in Nepal marked the United Nations International Day for the Commemoration of the Victims of the Holocaust by hosting a solemn memorial event titled “Zikaron Bassalon – Memory in the Living Room” in Kathmandu on Tuesday, according to a press statement issued by the embassy.
Held under this year’s global theme, “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights,” the event honoured the memory of six million Jewish people who were systematically murdered during the Holocaust. It also reflected on the enduring lessons of remembrance, dignity, and the responsibility to stand against hatred and antisemitism.
The event was attended by high-level government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, media representatives, and friends of Israel.
Holocaust Remembrance Day marked in Kathmandu
Addressing the gathering, H.E. Ambassador Shmulik Arie Bass, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal, said racial discrimination and the desire to exterminate a people must never be repeated, calling the Holocaust “a black mark on human history.”
Expressing condolences to the victims, Hon. Top Bahadur Magar, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, said the Holocaust had a profound impact on international human rights law, leading to the United Nations’ adoption of key documents in 1948, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which Nepal is a state party. He stressed the need for a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice where people live with dignity and equality, the press release said.
Reflections were also shared by H.E. Udo Volz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, and H.E. Simon Ernst, Ambassador-designate of Australia.
A moving testimony was delivered by Holocaust survivor Mrs. Sophia Geller, who recounted her harrowing experiences during the Holocaust. The program also featured musical performances by two Nepali students and a video message by Holocaust survivor Mr. Dugo, who began the tradition of eating falafel every January 18 as a symbol of freedom and the celebration of life.
The Embassy of Israel reaffirmed its commitment to Holocaust education and to promoting the values of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect.
The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews, including 1.5 million children, by the Nazi regime and its collaborators between 1941 and 1945 in Europe. With very few survivors alive today, preserving their testimonies remains crucial for future generations, the Embassy of Israel said.
