This week Jack Brereton signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging his 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.
This year we are marking 77 years since the liberation of the concentration camps of Europe and the end of the Second World War. On the 27th of January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, people across the globe will remember.
In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. The theme for this year’s commemorations is ‘One Day’.
After signing the Book of Commitment, Jack Brereton MP commented:
“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people from Stoke-on-Trent and around the world to reflect on the darkest times of European history. As the Holocaust moves from living history, to history, it becomes ever more important that we take the time to remember the six million Jewish victims, pay tribute to the survivors and fight for the freedom of those who continue to be oppressed throughout the world today.”
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:
“As the Holocaust fades from living memory, it falls on all of us to ensure that their stories and the stories of the 6 million Jewish men, women and children brutally murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, are never forgotten. We all have a duty to remember the Holocaust and to stand up against antisemitism and hate, now more than ever.”
Keeping commemorating this day is of enormous importance. This is indeed enabling young people to understand the past and empowering them to stand up against antisemitism, prejudice and hatred in all its forms, to shape a more positive future. Today, the work of organisations such as the Holocaust Educational Trust is more vital than ever. In an increasingly fragile world and a volatile political climate here and abroad, it is so important that we work to educate young people about the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance.
Yesterday, the Government announced new measures to acknowledge and eradicate antisemitic abuse on university campuses in England to protect Jewish students and staff. Antisemitism has no place in the United Kingdom any of its world leading universities, so work must be done to ensure that no staff member or student is subjected to such abhorrent abuse.
The Government is committing to working hand-in-hand with education providers, vice chancellors and Jewish groups to improve data reporting, build a better picture of the issue and improve support for Jewish students to ensure universities have the right tools to tackle this issue.
