In the 20 years since it was created by a vote in the U.N. General Assembly in 2005, International Holocaust Remembrance Day has become a staple of the world community’s calendar. It has even been embraced by the organized Jewish world, which is always eager for acceptance from established institutions. It was established even though the Jewish world already recognized a Holocaust day—Yom Hashoah—observed in the spring a week before Israel’s memorial and independence days. More than 15 months after Oct. 7, 2023, it’s time to reassess that decision.

Why? Shouldn’t we encourage more Holocaust commemoration and education programs? Doesn’t the creation of a day set aside by the world for remembering the slaughter of 6 million Jews give this event the recognition it deserves, as well as making it less likely that the horror of the Shoah will be repeated?

As it turns out, the resounding answer is an emphatic “no.”