Holocaust Memorial Day

Monday 27 January

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Auschwitz has become a global symbol of terror, genocide and the Shoah (known commonly as the Holocaust). Initially, Auschwitz was set up as a concentration camp for many people who were persecuted by the Nazis and their collaborators. In 1942, it also became the site of extermination, where over 1 million Jewish adults and children were murdered. In addition to Auschwitz, many other camps were set up across Europe to eradicate European Jewry.

On Holocaust Memorial Day, we remembered the many millions of lives that were lost during the Holocaust, whilst also remembering other victims of the Nazis and their collaborators. These included homosexuals, disabled people, Roma & Sinti, Soviet POW, non-Jewish Poles and political opponents. January 27 also marks remembrance for those who were persecuted during other genocides in the 20th century including Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

As there now exists only a handful of Holocaust survivors in the world, we must ensure that the memory of those who were persecuted lives on. At St Bart’s, we are committed to preserving this memory and have worked alongside UCL’s Holocaust Education Centre to develop our teaching resources. In April 2024, 40 of our current Year 13 students visited Krakow, Poland, to learn more about pre-war Jewish life, the Holocaust and life after the Holocaust. They walked through the old ghetto where Jews were concentrated under Nazi control, heard from a Holocaust survivor and visited Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Over this week and next week, Mr Owen, Miss May and our Beacon Captains, Abigail Marshall (9P3), Daniel Elliott (9P3), Dylan Griffiths (9C2) and Eleri Richlings (9P1) will speak with students during their assemblies on the importance of remembering the Holocaust. We are also excited to welcome ‘Voices’, a Holocaust education charity on 10 February, who will perform their play ‘Kindness: A legacy of the Holocaust’ to our Year 9 cohort. They will also perform a second showing for any of our students, their parents and carers on 10 February at 4.30pm. For further information please visit The Beacon School Programme page on our website or if you have further questions please email mowen@stbarts.co.uk