Never again
expression regarding the Holocaust
"Never again" is a phrase or slogan associated with the Holocaust and genocide. The slogan was used by liberated prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp to denounce fascism.
The exact meaning of the phrase is debated, including whether it should be used as a particularistic command to avert a second Holocaust of Jews or whether it is a universalist injunction to prevent all forms of genocide. It was popularized by far-right Jewish paramilitary leader Meir Kahane in his 1971 book, Never Again! A Program for Survival.
It has been widely used by politicians and writers, also appearing on many Holocaust memorials. It has also been utilized as a political slogan for other causes, from commemoration of the 1976 Argentine coup, the promotion of gun control or abortion rights, and as an injunction to war on terror after the September 11 attacks.
Origins
The slogan "Never again shall Masada fall!" is believed to be derived from a 1927 epic poem, Masada, by Yitzhak Lamdan. The poem is about the siege of Masada, in which the Sicarii held out against Roman armies and, according to legend, committed mass suicide rather than be captured. In Zionism, an embellished version of the story of Masada became a national myth and was lauded as an example of Jewish heroism.
The public source identifies “Never again” as expression regarding the Holocaust. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Never, again and expression.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Never again”, the useful work is to connect “expression regarding the Holocaust” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q16129239. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1971, 1976 and 1927.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Never again”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Never again primary sources, Never again archive and Never research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Never again” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.