The Holocaust Educational Trust has staged a moving event at Parliament ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day later this month which will mark 80 years since the Shoah.
MPs and peers were in attendance, alongside survivors, and their families, to hear speeches from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Holocaust survivor Renee Salt BEM, and from HET young Ambassador, Sayali Dhavale.
Tuesday evening also saw Speaker Lindsay Hoyle visit the Testimony 360: People and Places of the Holocaust installation at Westminster’s Portcullis House, where he also spoke of the vital importance of continuing to educate on the horrors that took place in Nazi Germany.
The cutting-edge technology features AI and VR technology, with parliamentarians and visitors able to ask questions to a digital version of Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg BEM, and virtually explore the sites from his testimony.
Holocaust Survivor Renee Salt BEM and Education Sec Bridget Phillipson
In her speech later the Education Secretary said: “Remembering what happened and educating young people is a responsibility this Government takes extremely seriously, especially given the shocking rise in the antisemitic abuse that we have seen since the since the October 7th attacks across this country and beyond- and I know the Prime Minister.
“That is why he confirmed that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic for schools, following the completion of our curriculum review. And I am deeply proud that the teaching of the Holocaust will also be mandatory for academy schools once the new curriculum is implemented.”
The event, inside Westminster’s Attlee Room was hosted by Bob Blackman MP, with other guests including Lisa Smart MP; Dan Tomlinson MP; Lord Walney; Lord Austin; Lord John Spellar; Josh Babarinde MP; Baroness Ayesha Hazarika; Lord Gerald Shamash; Scott Harrison MP and Lord Eric Pickles.
After sharing her testimony, Auschwitz survivor Salt reflected: “Today, for Jewish communities here in the UK and abroad, the future looks uncertain, and many are fearful of what it could bring.
“Antisemitism continues to rise, hatred and violence against Jews has yet again become a common news story.
“A world without antisemitism feels like a future that is long overdue, but far from our reach.
“This Holocaust Memorial Day, we survivors will hope for a better future but worry about our legacies. But our worries are lessened when we see the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust, and the thousands of young people who become inspired to protect the memory of the Holocaust and stand up to antisemitism.
“They understand that they have an important job to do, keeping our memories alive for the next generation, and speaking out against the antisemitism that caused us all so much pain. ”
Reflecting on the significant anniversary later this month Karen Pollock CBE, HET’s chief exec said: “This month, when we mark Holocaust Memorial Day, we will remember the moment that the survivors were liberated.
“We will remember those who did not live long enough to see that day – the 6 million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis. And we remember that 80 years ago, when the world saw the horrors of the Holocaust on newsreels and in newspapers, there was a collective agreement – Never Again.
“Eighty years on, the words Never Again can feel hollow. We are constantly reminded that antisemitism did not end with the Holocaust. I have hope that the next generation will learn the lessons of the past – and we see that day in and day out from our ambassadors who bravely put their head above the parapet.”
