News Holocaust Memorial Day 26.01.2024

On Friday the Jewish Society ran two separate assemblies to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, approaching the themes in a way that was appropriate for their audiences.

Yulia and Maya from the Upper Sixth delivered an informative and moving assembly in the Bishop Centre to the Upper and Middle School. They explained how Holocaust Memorial Day is the day for everyone to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators between 1941 and 1945. This year the theme of the day is the Fragility of Freedom and Yulia and Maya made reference to other groups that suffered at the hands of the Nazis, including disabled people, and also the people who suffered and lost their lives in the genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda. They also highlighted how Jews in Eastern Europe continued to be persecuted and displaced after 1945 and the importance of non-jewish people continuing to stand up against anti-semitism. The assembly then concluded with a minute’s silence. 

The Lower School assembly focused on the significance of Holocaust Memorial Day, emphasising the importance of honouring the lives that were lost, and the lessons we can learn from the past to ensure it is never repeated. They shared the tragic final letters of Holocaust victims, shed light on the grim reality of the ghettos, and acknowledged the brave efforts of underground resistance groups. They explained that although the Holocaust ended with the war, its legacy of terror and intergenerational trauma persists. After an impeccably observed minute’s silence, the Jewish Society extended an open invitation to students to join their lunchtime meeting for further insights into the Holocaust.

Many thanks to the Jewish Society for so thoughtfully delivering these assemblies.