The Washington Oxi Day Foundation released the following statement on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day — January 27th, 2013:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jewish community on this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we remember the over six million Jews and others who were victims of this horrible evil.

We Greeks have a particular duty on this day.  We must keep alive the memories of those lost, particularly from Greece, and stand strong against anti-Semitism and hatred in all forms as we draw inspiration from the courageous actions of many of the Greek people during the Holocaust.

We must remind ourselves and our progeny to emulate the courage of Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens, who according to the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, was the only national religious leader in a Nazi occupied country to publically oppose the Holocaust during the Holocaust.  Under Damaskinos’ leadership, the Church of Greece publically condemned Hitler’s plans and urged Greek Orthodox monasteries, convents and parish priests to provide shelter to Jews, saving thousands of lives.

We also draw inspiration from the Metropolitan of Zakynthos and the Archbishop of Volos who risked their lives saving their entire Jewish communities.  And, we lament the disastrous circumstances, described by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, which engulfed the large Jewish population of Thessaloniki leading to their tragic loss.

We must remember that during the Nazi occupation of Greece, when one in ten Greeks lost their lives, Archbishop Damaskinos said publically that he `condemned any attempt to discriminate or create racial or religious differences.’  He went on to describe the Greek attitude toward their Jewish community by saying, `Our common fate both in days of glory and in periods of national misfortune forged inseparable bonds between all Greek citizens without exemption…and we lend our hearts to those in need.’    

The Holocaust reminds us that such unspeakable evil can exist.  For our Jewish friends, for ourselves and for all of humankind, we can never forget.”