OŚWIĘCIM, Poland — More than 120 senior law enforcement leaders gathered this week in Poland for an intensive educational program designed to translate Holocaust remembrance into modern institutional responsibility, as concerns grow globally over antisemitism, extremism and threats to democratic societies.
The seminar, titled “Operationalizing Never Again Not On Our Watch 2026,” was hosted at the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation in Oświęcim, adjacent to the former Nazi German death camp Auschwitz. The initiative was organized in partnership with the Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience and the University of Virginia.
Participants included senior police executives, policymakers and security officials from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Kenya and elsewhere.
Among the highest-ranking attendees were New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, New York Police Department Executive Director Amy E. Bishop, Washington Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Tasha Bryant, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Sanjaya Wijayakoon, and German Police Union Federal Chairman Jochen Kopelke.
Their presence reflected the program’s reach into the upper ranks of global policing at a time when Jewish communities in many countries have reported rising threats since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel.
Holocaust Lessons Applied to Modern Leadership
Organizers said the seminar was structured to connect historical memory with present-day decision-making by those entrusted with public authority.
Participants toured the remains of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp complex, attended seminars on how state institutions enabled atrocities, and joined discussions on how those lessons apply to contemporary policing.
“Law enforcement officers hold immense authority and responsibility,” said Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Director General Jack Simony.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not confined to history but are actively shaping how today’s leaders confront bigotry, hatred and the dehumanization of others.”
That emphasis has become increasingly significant as institutions across the West face scrutiny over hate crimes, terror threats, online radicalization and community trust.
‘Never Again Is Not a Slogan’
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation said it has increasingly tailored Holocaust education programs not only to students, but also to judges, diplomats, military personnel and law enforcement officials.
Organizers argue such professional audiences play a decisive role in identifying warning signs early and protecting vulnerable communities before prejudice escalates into violence.
“Never Again is not a slogan. It is a responsibility,” said Foundation Chairman Simon Bergson.
“By bringing together leaders from across countries and disciplines we are building a community committed to recognizing warning signs and acting before prejudice and hatred escalate into violence.”
For pro-Israel and Jewish audiences, the message carries particular resonance as many communities continue to call for stronger security, clearer enforcement against antisemitic threats and greater institutional awareness.
Canadian Participation
Canada was represented by Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Sanjaya Wijayakoon, reflecting the international scope of the initiative.
The inclusion of Canadian leadership comes amid continuing debate in Canada over rising antisemitic incidents, synagogue security, campus hostility and the role of public institutions in responding to hate-related offenses.
International Delegation
The broader delegation included officials from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Estonia, Portugal, Australia and Kenya, alongside numerous state and municipal agencies from across the United States. Many participants hold roles influencing training standards, departmental policy and national policing strategy.
Sessions reportedly focused on the incremental nature of authoritarianism, the normalization of bias, and the ethical obligations of officers when confronted with unlawful or discriminatory directives.
“In Oświęcim, where the consequences of hatred were carried out with the participation of ordinary institutions, we are consistently reminded that the line between protection and persecution is defined by human choices,” said Tomasz Kuncewicz.
“Programs like this are about equipping today’s leaders with the awareness and moral clarity to ensure that authority is always used to defend human dignity, never to erode it.”
Preserving Memory Through Action
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation said it seeks to ensure remembrance is not passive, but operationally embedded in the daily decisions of those who wield authority.
The organization maintains the last remaining synagogue in Oświęcim and says more than one million people have visited the center. It also reports that more than 300,000 students and tens of thousands of diplomats, military personnel, educators and law enforcement officials have participated in its educational initiatives.
As delegates departed Poland, organizers said the central mission remained clear: to carry the lessons of a place synonymous with destruction into institutions tasked with protecting life, liberty and democratic society.
