Charleston City Hall will be illuminated in yellow on January 27 to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event is organized in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Charleston and aims to honor the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others who were killed during the Holocaust.
According to city officials, the illumination serves as a tribute to those lost and reflects Charleston’s ongoing commitment to remembrance, education, and opposition to hate. “The illumination honors the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others murdered during the Holocaust and affirms Charleston’s enduring commitment to remembrance, education, and standing against hate,” a statement from organizers said.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed each year on January 27, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The day is recognized globally as a time for reflection and for confronting antisemitism, hatred, and bigotry.
Charleston has had one of North America’s longest continuous Jewish communities. After World War II, many Holocaust survivors settled in Charleston, where they rebuilt their lives and contributed significantly to local civic, cultural, and religious life.
The choice of yellow lighting carries symbolic meaning. Organizers note that it recalls the yellow badges Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule but now serves as a symbol of dignity, survival, and collective responsibility to remember.
