Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day is on January 27th and encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide. It is important to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi Persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

It is commemorated on 27th January, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

This year's theme of Holocaust Memorial Day is to 'Be the light in the darkness'.  ‘It encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide. Be the light in the darkness is an affirmation and a call to action for everyone marking HMD. This theme asks us to consider different kinds of ‘darkness’, for example, identity-based persecution, misinformation, denial of justice; and different ways of ‘being the light’, for example, resistance, acts of solidarity, rescue and illuminating mistruths.’ (Be the Light in the Darkness. (2021). Retrieved from HMDT). Find out more here. 

Image: Holocaust Memorial Day Trust commissioned a special project entitled Moving Portraits. The collection are of five photographs of genocide survivors, with each individual featured holding an object that holds significance to them. See the collection here. 
Joan Salter is a child survivor of the Holocaust. This photograph was taken in her dining room. Read Joan's story here. 

There are many ways you can acknowledge and take part in Holocaust Memorial Day:

Memorial Ceremony 

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust will be streaming their ceremony online in the UK at 7pm. Register to watch the Ceremony here.

At 8pm, they will also Light the Darkness. Households across the UK will be lighting candles and safely putting them in their windows to:

• Remember those who were murdered for who they were
• Stand against prejudice and hatred today

Light a candle and put it in your window at 8pm on 27 January 2021 (if you are able to do so safely).  

You can find out more about the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust activities here. 

Anne Frank House

You can take a virtual tour of the 'Anne Frank House' in Amsterdam. 

'The Anne Frank House was established on 3 May 1957 in cooperation with Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father.' They are 'an independent non-profit organisation that runs a museum in the house where Anne Frank went into hiding' and they 'try to increase awareness of Anne’s life story all over the world.'

Image: From the Anne Frank House Museum Website showing a cross section of the house. 

Holocaust Memorial Day: Ruth Barnett

The D-Day Story Museum are hosting an event for Holocaust Memorial Day. 

Take part in a fascinating talk and Q&A with Ruth Barnett, who arrived in Britain on the Kindertransport in 1939. Kindertransport was the mission to bring around 10,000 children to the UK from Nazi Germany. In this 90 minute talk and Q&A, she will discuss her personal story and how her experiences relate to the world we live in today. 

Free event, advance booking is essential. Book here. 

New approaches to Holocaust education

University of Portsmouth lecturer Christine Berberich is also doing a live session in collaboration with the D-Day Museum! Christine Berberich discusses new approaches to educating secondary and university students about the Holocaust.

Usually University of Portsmouth students work is displayed at the museum but this year this has gone digital! This virtual talk will give an insight into the process for anyone with an interest in Holocaust education.

Book here for this free talk.