Gillian reaffirmed her commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day; by signing The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so she pledged her 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.
Today marks 77 years since the liberation of the concentration camps of Europe and the end of the Second World War. Holocaust Memorial Day always falls on the 27th of January, as the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. It is a day of both remembrance for the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. There is a key focus on education to ensure such atrocities never happen again.
In the lead up to, and on the day itself, 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’. In Chichester, the Chichester Marks Holocaust Memorial Day held a special performance at the Chichester Festival Theatre of ‘The Mozart Question’ which told the story of Paolo Levi, a world-famous performer who developed his passion for music as a young child. The play brought to life Mozart’s beautiful music and the story of how it helped Paolo’s parents survive as Jewish prisoners in a concentration camp during the Second World War. Gillian and her husband, Michael, attended the event.
In previous years, Gillian has been heavily involved in the day – hosting a performance of local opera PUSH at Speaker’s House in Parliament and last year speaking at a virtual service put on locally during the lockdown.
Gillian commented:
“I am hugely grateful to the whole team behind ‘Chichester Marks Holocaust Memorial Day’ as every year they ensure we as a community mark this special occasion. Their events are focused on education which is becoming increasingly important as many survivors are no longer with us to share their lived experience.”
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 Jewish million 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.”
