Jack listened to Dr Martin Stern who survived the Holocaust as a child and met Laura Marks OBE, Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, at the launch event in Parliament for Holocaust Memorial Day 2018.
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is commemorated each year on 27 January – the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death and concentration camp. HMD provides an opportunity for everyone to learn lessons from the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. HMD asks people to apply these lessons to the present day to create a safer, better future.
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) promotes and supports HMD activities across the UK. Each year HMDT selects a theme around which HMD activities can focus. The theme for 2018 is The power of words.
Martin spoke movingly about his experiences of being arrested by Dutch police at school when he was just five years old, along with his little sister Erica. Together they survived the Holocaust, having been sent to Westerbork and Theresienstadt concentration camps.
Reflecting on the theme for HMD 2018 The power of words, Martin said:
‘Words can strengthen the thin shield of civilisation or shatter it. Civilised words can civilise, educate. Uncivilised words can consign us to the depths.’
Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said:
‘We were delighted that Jack showed his support for Holocaust Memorial Day. We hope that many more people in Filton and Bradley Stoke will use the free resources available through our website to organise activities for next year’s HMD – adding to the record 7,700 activities which took place for HMD 2017.’