Gary Sokolov Honors Father by Visiting Auschwitz on 80th Anniversary of Liberation

Holocaust survivors gathered on Monday to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp in Poland. Survivors Tova Friedman, 86, Leon Weintraub, 99, Marian Turski, 98, and Janina Iwanska, 94, shared their poignant recollections during a ceremony attended by world leaders. During the commemoration, attendees paid tribute by placing candles at the 'death wall' outside Block 11, a site notorious for the execution of thousands of prisoners by SS officers. According to historical records, approximately 1.1 million people, primarily Jews, were murdered at the Auschwitz complex, making it the largest documented mass execution site in history. "Today, we reflect not only on the lives lost but on the resilience of those who survived," stated a representative of the event’s organizers. The gathering aimed to ensure that these harrowing memories are not forgotten, emphasizing the importance of Holocaust education for future generations.

Gary Sokolov, son of Lali Sokolov, the famed "Tattooist of Auschwitz," has made an emotional pilgrimage to the Auschwitz concentration camp on the 80th anniversary of its liberation. This visit fulfills his father’s dying wish to return and apologize to the lives he could not save. Despite enduring four decades of failed attempts due to the weight of the memories, Gary finally entered the camp, overwhelmed by the horrific reality that unfolded there during World War II. His experience, filmed for a Sky History documentary, highlighted the profound impact of his family's past on his identity. Lali Sokolov, who tattooed numbers onto prisoners’ arms during the Holocaust, had a remarkable survival story involving love and resilience. He met and inked the forearm of his future wife, Gita, after being rescued from a death cart shortly after arriving at Auschwitz. Despite their optimistic outlook after the war and the challenges they faced, Gary learned detailed accounts of their struggles only recently through the book "The Tattooist of Auschwitz." He reflects on his parents' legacy and the importance of educating younger generations about the atrocities of the Holocaust. With rising global anti-Semitism, Gary emphasizes the need to maintain awareness of these historical events and the stories of individuals like his parents, who, although small in stature, have left an indelible impact on the world. The documentary "The Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz" premiered on Sky History, bringing attention to the historical significance of his family's experience.

January 27, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the site of history's largest industrial-scale genocide. On this day in 1945, a battalion from the 322nd Infantry Division of the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front reached the infamous concentration camp located near the town of Oświęcim in southern Poland. The camp, often referred to by its haunting entrance, known as the "gateway to hell," was a symbol of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. As the soldiers entered, they were met with a harrowing scene; they faced emaciated survivors, described by commanding officer Anatoly Shapiro as "skeletons of people" dressed in striped uniforms, devoid of shoes and unable to speak. In conjunction with the anniversary, a new publication is shedding light on the topography of Jewish extermination, exploring the tragic history and the physical remnants of the camp. This commemorative effort aims not only to remember those who suffered but also to educate future generations about the horrors of Auschwitz and the Holocaust.