January 27, 2026 marks the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. A time of remembrance was organized this Tuesday on the Colline du Château, in Nice.
Several representatives of the city and the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur were present to honor the memory of the victims of the Shoah. For the city, this period remains deeply rooted, 3,200 Jewish people deported from the Nice train station never returned.
Among the participants, the Or Torah college, a Jewish institution in Nice, was represented by one of its classes. For these students, the ceremony was a way to pay tribute particularly to their family members deported to the camps during World War II. Their presence gave the ceremony a direct connection between history and the new generations. Two texts were read by students, the first being particularly moving for all those present, consisting of an excerpt from a speech by Simone Veil, an iconic figure of the Holocaust memory.
A solemn and fraternal ceremony
The municipal guard band of Nice accompanied the entire ceremony, playing very solemn music. The emotion was visible on people’s faces. A true community formed during this moment of remembrance, marked by many embraces between those present. The lighting of candles was one of the most poignant moments of this celebration, with six candles symbolizing the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Each was lit by a representative of the city, accompanied by a child from the Or Torah college.
Martine Ouaknine: “history allows us to preserve the future”
A minute of silence was then observed. Its end was marked by the band, which played the Israeli national anthem, followed by La Marseillaise. Two rabbis then recited prayers, echoed by a large part of the Jewish attendees. In closing, Martine Ouaknine, metropolitan councilor in charge of legal affairs and public contracts, reminded attendees of the significance of such moments, stating, “ceremonies like this are more important than ever and history allows us to preserve the future, also emphasizing that passing on this history to young people is very important.”
