In Parliament this week, I signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging my commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
Holocaust Memorial Day falls on 27th January every year, the anniversary of the liberation of the infamous former Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1945. Across the UK – and world – people will come together to remember the horrors of the past.
In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events are arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. Locally, a Holocaust Memorial Day Event is held each year at the Harrow Arts Centre, which is always well-attended, along with events at our local synagogues, temples, churches, schools and libraries.
The theme for this year's commemoration is ‘Ordinary People’. I feel deeply moved by the reminder that victims of the Holocaust, and subsequent genocides, were and are ordinary people, like us, simply living their lives – mothers, fathers, neighbours, friends – before having it so barbarically and needlessly taken away. It is an important opportunity to hear from the survivors, those ordinary people, who can share their story and give a voice to those who are not able to tell their own.
Holocaust Memorial Day is also a time to reflect on the darkest times of European history, to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and to pay tribute to the incredible survivors who, by sharing their testimony, ensure that future generations never forget the horrors of the past. We also remember that antisemitism did not start or end with the Holocaust, we must all be vigilant, and speak out whenever it is found.
In Parliament, we will remember the victims and the survivors of genocide across the world, reflect on the persecution that continues to this day, and come together so that we can work towards a better future.
