Global Law Enforcement Leaders Gather at Auschwitz for Intense Training Program

The 'Operationalizing Never Again Not On Our Watch 2026' seminar brought together senior police officials from around the world to study the Holocaust's lessons.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 1:06am

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A cinematic painting depicting a lone police officer standing in the doorway of an abandoned building, the scene bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conceptually representing the weight of moral responsibility for those in positions of public power.The haunting setting of Auschwitz serves as a somber backdrop for law enforcement leaders to confront the moral obligations of their authority.Denver Today

More than 120 senior law enforcement leaders from the U.S., Europe, and beyond gathered this week at the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation in Poland for an intensive training program focused on translating the lessons of the Holocaust into action. The seminar, titled "Operationalizing Never Again Not On Our Watch 2026," featured lectures, site visits, and discussions designed to connect historical atrocities to contemporary policing challenges around extremism, antisemitism, and protecting vulnerable communities.

Why it matters

The program reflects a growing emphasis on providing Holocaust education and training to professional audiences, particularly those in positions of public authority like law enforcement. Organizers argue that groups like police forces play a decisive role in preventing hate and protecting human rights, making it crucial that they deeply understand the warning signs and consequences of state-enabled persecution.

The details

The delegation included senior officials from agencies across the U.S. and abroad, including the New Jersey State Police, New York Police Department, Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and police unions and departments from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Estonia. Participants toured the Auschwitz Birkenau camp, engaged in seminars on the role of state institutions in enabling atrocities, and discussed how to apply those lessons to modern policing practices and policies.

  • The seminar took place this week in Oświęcim, Poland.

The players

Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation

A nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the lessons learned from the Holocaust to combat hatred and bigotry through educational programs and humanitarian aid.

Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience

A partner organization that co-hosted the training program with the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation.

University of Virginia

A partner organization that co-hosted the training program with the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation.

Jack Simony

Director General of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation.

Simon Bergson

Chairman of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation.

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What they’re saying

“Law enforcement officers hold immense authority and responsibility. 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.”

— Jack Simony, Director General, Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation

“Never Again is not a slogan it is a responsibility. 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.”

— Simon Bergson, Chairman, Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation

“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. 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.”

— Tomasz Kuncewicz

What’s next

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation plans to continue hosting similar training programs for law enforcement and other professional audiences in the future, with the goal of translating the lessons of the Holocaust into concrete actions to combat hate and protect vulnerable communities.

The takeaway

This intensive training program at the Auschwitz memorial site underscores the critical role that law enforcement and other authorities can play in either enabling or preventing atrocities. By equipping global police leaders with a deeper understanding of the Holocaust's history and consequences, the organizers hope to empower them to be vigilant against the warning signs of bigotry, discrimination, and state-sanctioned violence, and to always use their power to defend human dignity.