At a time when the memory of the Holocaust is being undermined in a variety of ways--claims that enough is enough, abhorrent comparisons of Israeli behavior to the Nazis, trivial analogies to the Holocaust by those who perceive all kinds of wrongs in the world, and, of course, Holocaust denial--it is fitting on Yom Hashoah to focus on some of what has been achieved by this remembrance.

First, is the respect we show the six million. Whether it is at ceremonies in Israel or all around the world, or whether it is the opening of the new Yad Vashem Museum or the continuing importance of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum or the growing collection of interviews by the Shoah Foundation, the first goal is not to forget those who perished. To this end, there is increasing attention on personal stories and histories, so the monstrosity of the numbers should not obscure the monstrosity of personal loss.

Second is the never-ending need to educate young Jews that "never again" can we allow this to happen. That is why today there are over 15,000 young people commemorating the Shoah at Auschwitz, why in Israeli schools and American day schools there are services, discussions and commemorations. Teaching about both the dangers of powerlessness and the need for good people to stand up in the face of evil is part of this critical education.

Third is the connecting link between remembering the Shoah and combating other examples of Genocide. In a world where the horrors of Darfur are ongoing and where Rwanda is still a fresh memory, there is no reason to suggest that the world has learned the lessons of the Holocaust. Still, focusing on this unspeakable human tragedy that took place in the heart of Europe serves as a goad, as a rallying cry to get the world to stand up this time or next time in a way that it failed to do when the Jewish people were in peril.

Fourth is the important lesson of how we observe the Holocaust each year. The two main dates in the calendar of remembrance are Kristallnacht and Yom Hashoah. Having these two events teaches us a great deal about the evolution of hatred and how to deal with it.

Today, Yom Hashoah, we remember the culmination of the evil of Nazism, the complicity of many others, the consequences of Jewish powerlessness. Kristallnacht reminds us that evil is not only a finished product but a process. The Holocaust didn't suddenly transpire. It was the product of Nazi ideology and discrimination for years. It was the product of the development of a racist anti-Semitism that emerged in the nineteenth century. It was the product of Christian anti-Semitism which pervaded European societies and their populations for centuries.The murder of six million was not an overnight phenomenon.

We still haven't fully learned that we need to stand against evil early on and at all stages so that it does not become an unstoppable force. But we are working at it and remembering the Holocaust provides the vehicle to do so.

Fifth is the importance of identifying and honoring those exceptions, those individuals who did stand up and who saved Jews during the Holocaust. It can never be emphasized enough that compared to the millions who stood by or those who conspired in the extermination of the Jews and other innocents such as Gypsies and gays, those who helped the victims were numerically like drops in the bucket. Honoring those people, however, whether at Yad Vashem or other ceremonies or in film or in books, creates the potential of a flood of individuals who can be inspired by such heroism, who recognize that even in the most dire of circumstances, people have the choice of how to behave and can make a difference.

As the survivors pass from the scene, the challenges of continuing these efforts in the face of mounting opposition will increase. And the greatest challenge will be to come up with creative approaches to educating about the Holocaust so that young people, generations removed from the event, can see it as relevant to their own lives.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.