For Holocaust Memorial Day 2017, I attended and spoke at an event at the Modern Records Centre at Warwick University. This was an educational exhibition curated by the Centre in collaboration with the University’s Students Union.
Holocaust Memorial Day Exhibition at the Modern Record Centre
Reflecting the 2017 theme of ‘How Can Life Go On?’, the exhibition explored both the Holocaust and subsequent genocides which have taken place since the Second World War, such as Rwanda, Cambodia and Srebrenica. Issues such as how refugee crises relate to such events and the varying attitudes of civilian populations to the displaced were also addressed, something particularly relevant to the contemporary sociohistorical context. Finally, the exhibition highlighted ways in which both fascism and anti-fascist resistance have manifested since the Holocaust, a poignant reminder that oppressive ideologies still very much exist today and must be fought against.
At the launch event which took place on 27th January 2017, Holocaust Memorial Day, I gave a short speech about the theme of Holocaust Memorial Day and its contemporary relevance to introduce the exhibition. In line with the theme ‘How Can Life Go On?’ I spoke about the fact that, for many, liberation was not necessarily an end to suffering and discussed life after genocide. Individual victims and nations coming to terms with the trauma and their past; acute social upheaval resulting in displacement; rebuilding communities which have been destroyed or divided by genocide. I also talked about other strands of the 2017 theme, whether there can ever be justice for genocide, for example, or how life can go on after the Holocaust when there is hatred, denial and trivialisation. Finally, in the light of recent political developments, I mentioned the increasing importance of Holocaust Memorial Day. It is a poignant reminder of exactly where hatred, intolerance and unchecked prejudice can lead and offers some very relevant contemporary lessons.
Following this, an expert from the Modern Records Centre then gave us a short tour of the exhibition, explaining and answering questions about a number of documents and artefacts. This exhibition will remain in the MRC for around a month; it’s definitely worth visiting if you can.
As tomorrow will mark the 71st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, it felt like the perfect time to reflect on how we have marked the 70th anniversary of the Holocaust and to share some highlights from my role as an ambassador.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Seventy years on from the Holocaust, we focused on ways to ‘keep the memory alive’ and ensure that the events of the past are not forgotten, even when survivors are no longer here to share their testimonies with us. Such stories enable us to rehumanise the Holocaust by considering it from a personal perspective which facts and statistics cannot provide. The process of recording and filming survivor testimony is a vital one, preserving the memory of those who witnessed the Holocaust for future generations. However as an Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust, and having had the opportunity to hear from a number of survivors firsthand, I feel we also have a responsibility to share what we have learnt and ensure that their stories live on. Survivors are our witnesses, but in time we will live to become theirs.
Bergen-Belsen Commemorative Visit
Last April, I was privileged to be a part of the commemorations at Bergen-Belsen, on the 70th anniversary of its liberation by the British, alongside fellow members of the ambassador community, teachers and Holocaust survivors and liberators. In addition to the memorial service at Belsen itself (where we also had the opportunity to see the remains of the camp and view the exhibitions) we attended another commemorative service at the Bergen-HohneBritish Army Garrison. This was a particularly poignant commemoration as it was the last which would be held at the Army Garrison which would soon be handed back to Germany from under British control.
Bergen-Belsen 70th Anniversary Commemorations
The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Annual Ambassador Conference
On 6th July, the Trust held its third Ambassador Conference in London, where ambassadors from all over the country, who have taken part in the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ Project, came together to listen to survivor testimonies and to take part in a variety of workshops to further our knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust. Historian Laurence Rees spoke about the perpetrators of the Holocaust and their actions. This was certainly an important reminded that, just like the victims of the Holocaust, perpetrators were individual human beings. It can be easy to refer to perpetrators as ‘evil’ or ‘monsters’ in order to distance ourselves from the atrocities of the past, but this can be dangerous as we must ensure that we do not overlook the fact that this crime was committed by human beings and is something which humanity is capable of and could easily happen again.
The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Ambassador Conference 2015
In addition to attending workshops, which were focussed on specific aspects of the Holocaust and led by professionals in the field, we had the privilege to hear from Mala Tribich MBE, a Holocaust survivor who was imprisoned at Bergen-Belsen, and Bernard Levy, a corporal in the British Military who was involved in the liberation of the camp. Hearing from survivors and those who experienced the Holocaust firsthand is an incredibly important opportunity. Such testimonies give us a much more personal perspective on the Holocaust and provide an insight which numbers, facts and statistics cannot provide.
Yad Vashem, Israel
In July, I was part of a group of the Trust’s Regional Ambassadors who took part in a study visit to Yad Vashem, the World Centre for Holocaust research, education and commemoration, in Israel.
The week began with a guided tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, followed by a trip to Masada and the Dead Sea the next day. Throughout these excursions we saw significant places in Jewish history, such as the Garden of Gethsemane and the site of the crucifixion of Jesus. Masada was also particularly important, as the site of the last Jewish stronghold against Roman invasion, it is seen to symbolise the determination of the Jewish people to be free in their own land. These excursions provided us with a background knowledge about the significance of Israel to the Jewish community and prepared us for the intensive study course which followed. Certainly they assisted our understanding of the history of Judaism, revealing a deep-rooted history, rather than one just defined by the Holocaust.
During the time spent at Yad Vashem we were privileged to hear from a variety of speakers, from eminent historians in the field to active ‘Nazi hunters’. A broad range of topic were covered, such as the origins of Judaism, the progression of the Final Solution and even the current Middle Eastern conflict. Particularly thought-provoking was Professor Yehuda Bauer’s lecture on ‘Holocaust and Genocide’ where he discussed the extent to which the Holocaust was unique. Dr Rafi Vago‘s talk on the historic background of anti-Semitism was also interesting. He explained that it is the oldest type of hatred to exist, pre-dating even racism. Many of us were shocked to learn about historic anti-Semitism in Western Europe, for example the expulsion of Jews from Britain for over 250 years, as it is a topic often ignored or overlooked in history at school.
In addition to the lectures and workshops we participated in at Yad Vashem, we had the opportunity to visit the museum and memorials. Unlike other memorials and exhibitions I’ve seen, Yad Vashem focused on more than just death camps like Auschwitz. There was a large section on life in ghettos for example, a very significant part of the Holocaust as, for so many victims, life ended there, before any death or concentration camp. Particularly poignant was the section focused on pre-war Jewish life. Video clips, images and artefacts highlighted the extent of what was lost in the Holocaust in a way that insurmountable statistics cannot. Not only was the Holocaust the systematic murder of so many innocent victims but also an attempt to destroy an entire community, culture and religion.
Not only was the trip educationally enriching, it was also a great opportunity to meet and get to know other Regional Ambassadors from all over the country and hear about what they are doing in their roles. Each of us returned from the trip with a renewed will to do more in our roles, inspired by both each other and everything we had learned.
Regional Ambassador Study Visit to Yad Vashem, Israel
Talk to Holocaust Educational Trust Educators
In late November, I was invited to talk with another Regional Ambassador to a group of Holocaust Educational Trust educators, at a conference held at Warwick University. We shared our experiences of the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ Project and our roles as Ambassadors and also spoke about the important impact that the Trust’s educators have had on us.
During my ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ Project, educators played a very important role for me. When visiting Auschwitz they helped to put what I was seeing into context and encouraged me to think in new ways, considering different perspectives, such as that of the perpetrators and bystanders in the Holocaust. In the orientation and follow-up seminars, my educators played an equally important role. They introduced me to wider issues surrounding the Holocaust and initiated discussion and debate on issues such as photography, social media and companies advertising visits to Auschwitz as part of a stag weekend, the morning after a bar crawl. These discussions certainly motivated me in my role as an Ambassador, to share what I had learned with others and to encourage them to understand why the Holocaust is still relevant today.
The work educators do with participants is the starting point for many people like me who go on to become Regional Ambassadors for the Trust. It was an honour to be invited to speak to them and thank them for the profound impact they have.
Regional Ambassador Days
Regional Ambassador Day
Throughout the year the Regional Ambassador community has come together on a number of occasions for our regular RA Days.
Most recently was our Ambassador Day in November which was held at the Jewish Museum in Manchester. The day began with educational sessions as well as a talk from one of the museum’s guides about Jewish history in Britain. We were also privileged to take part in a workshop led by Yiftach Meiri, an expert from Yad Vashem, on rescuers during the Holocaust. We looked at a variety of case studies from all over Europe, from those who helped in their professional capacities to those who put their lives at risk to save others.
The day concluded with three workshop sessions which would help us in our role as Ambassadors. In the first we began looking forward to Holocaust Memorial Day 2016, considering the theme of ‘Don’t Stand By’. We discussed how we could focus on those who rescued and resisted during the Holocaust, both victims and onlookers, but also how the theme provided an opportunity to reflect on those who were bystanders during the Holocaust, the impact that this had and what we can learn from that. The second of the workshops was certainly useful as we looked at organising and publicising events, certainly important stuff as we began to think about our plans for Holocaust Memorial Day. Finally, we had a workshop on writing about the Holocaust where we thought about different styles of writing about the Holocaust and ways that we could link wider themes to anniversaries. For me, it was this final workshop which was most inspiring and which ultimately sparked my decision to blog about the Holocaust and my experiences as a Regional Ambassador.
The year of the 70th anniversary has certainly been a significant one, however as tomorrow marks the 71st anniversary we must acknowledge that this makes the Holocaust no less significant. Sadly we are reminded that eyewitnesses to the Holocaust are becoming fewer, frailer and less able to share their testimonies therefore our role as ambassadors is more important than ever. As the next generation it is up to us to ensure that their memories live on and that the Holocaust continues to be both remembered and learned from.
As a Regional Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust and someone who has taken part in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, I was invited to speak to a group of the Trust’s educators. Joined by another Ambassador, we spoke about our experiences with the Trust and the important role that educators for the project have played in our understanding of the Holocaust.
I completed LFA in March 2014 and I have no doubt that the educators and guides I encountered during the project played an incredibly important role in my understanding not only of the Holocaust, but also of its contemporary relevance. Whilst no book, lesson or lecture could have prepared me for my experience of Auschwitz, the educators and guides helped to put what I was seeing into context and encouraged me to think in new ways, considering different perspectives, such as that of the perpetrators and bystanders in the Holocaust.
In particular, a reading given by my educator as we stood beside the reconstructed gallows where Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz, was hanged, urged me to consider the dangers of labelling perpetrators as ‘evil’ or ‘monsters’. The perpetrators of such a horrendous crime were not inherently evil creatures but human beings; such labels and imagery serve only to distance ourselves from the fact that humanity was capable of such an atrocity.
Away from Auschwitz, in the orientation and follow-up seminars, my educators played an equally important role. They introduced me to wider issues surrounding the Holocaust and initiated discussion and debate on issues such as photography, social media and companies advertising visits to Auschwitz as part of a stag weekend, the morning after a bar crawl. These discussions certainly motivated me in my role as an Ambassador, to share what I had learned with others and to encourage them to understand why the Holocaust is still relevant today.
Following the two seminars and the visit to Auschwitz, and feeling inspired by my educators, guides and peers, I undertook the final stage of the Project, my ‘Next Steps’. As Ambassadors for the Trust we are asked to continue learning about the Holocaust, to share what we have learned with others and to encourage others to realise the importance of learning from and remembering the Holocaust.
For my project, I wanted to go beyond just my own school and Sixth Form as the lack of knowledge of the Holocaust I had encountered, in both children and adults alike, had shocked me. Consequently, my project included a number of different aspects to meet this aim. I wrote articles in my school newsletter and magazine, which would spread my message to both parents and students, and gave presentations and classes on the contemporary relevance of the Holocaust in local schools.
Following the completion of my ‘Next Steps’, I applied to become a Regional Ambassador for the Trust as I feel that we Ambassadors play a vital role, and I wanted to do more. As last January saw the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the camps, we were all reminded of the fact that survivors are becoming less able to share their testimony. As the next generation, it is our responsibility to ensure that their words and memories are not forgotten. For me, certainly, this personal aspect of the Lessons from Auschwitz Project – the opportunity to meet and speak to survivors – encouraged me to further my role to become a Regional Ambassador.
The role of the educators and guides on the Lessons from Auschwitz Project has had a profound impact on me. The work they do with participants is the starting point for many people like me. In everything they do, they are increasing knowledge and interest in the subject, and inspiring participants to realise the important role they can play in ensuring that the Holocaust is remembered.
As a Regional Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust I have spent the past year giving talks, writing articles and organising events to raise awareness about the Holocaust and to ensure that the words and memories of those who witnessed it are never forgotten.
I am part of a community of around 65 Regional Ambassadors from all over the UK who have the shared aim of remembering, informing and educating about the Holocaust. We meet regularly at Regional Ambassador days and the annual Ambassador Conference where we share ideas and motivate each other in our roles.
In July I was part of a group of ambassadors who went to Yad Vashem, the World Centre for Holocaust Research, Education and Memorial, in Israel, for a week long study visit. The trip left us all with an improved knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust as well as a renewed will to do as much as we can in our roles as ambassadors.
Consequently I have decided to start this blog where I hope to write about all that I am doing in my role as an Ambassador and to share my thoughts and reflections on issues surrounding the Holocaust.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post, more will undoubtedly follow.
Amelia
Read more about my experiences with the Holocaust Educational Trust here.
Lessons Since Auschwitz 