Dr Neil Hudson has again this year signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, reaffirming his pledge to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and to stand firmly against hatred, prejudice and antisemitism.
Holocaust Memorial Day honours the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, while also paying tribute to the remarkable survivors who continue to share their experiences and educate younger generations. It is also a time to remember and pay tribute to all those persecuted and murdered by the Nazi regime, including Roma and Sinti people, disabled people, gay men, political opponents, and others targeted simply for who they were or what they believed.
Holocaust Memorial Day is observed each year on 27 January, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the former Nazi concentration and death camp. On this day, people across the UK and around the world come together to remember the Holocaust and to reflect on the liberation of Nazi concentration camps across Europe.
In the lead-up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, commemorative events will be held by schools, faith groups and community organisations both here in Epping Forest and across the country. These events will remember the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and reflect on this year’s theme, “Bridging Generations”, highlighting the vital importance of passing memory, understanding and the lessons of the Holocaust from one generation to the next.
After signing the Book of Commitment, Dr Neil Hudson MP commented:
“This year, Holocaust Memorial Day marks more than 80 years since the liberation of the former Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1945.
“It is an important moment for people across Epping Forest and the UK and indeed the world to reflect on one of the darkest chapters in world history. I pledge to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and to ensure their memory is never forgotten.”
“I am also acutely aware of the profoundly difficult time the Jewish community is facing. I will always stand firmly with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms. The recent rise in antisemitic incidents is deeply concerning and must be confronted and challenged wherever it occurs.”
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:
“On Holocaust Memorial Day, we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators; and we honour the survivors who rebuilt their lives while coming to terms with unimaginable loss.
“Over 80 years on, the Holocaust is fading further into history. As the voices of survivors sadly fades the responsibility to continue their legacy passes firmly on to the next generation. The loss of eyewitnesses and the urgency to protect their stories for the next generation is crucial.
“This Holocaust Memorial Day comes at a moment of renewed danger for Jewish communities worldwide. From Bondi Beach in Australia to Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester, in recent months we have seen Jewish people murdered while observing their holiest days. These atrocities did not occur in a vacuum. This followed two years where antisemitism has been permitted to grow louder, more brazen and increasingly normalised. Remembering the murder of Jewish people in the past is essential, but remembrance alone is no longer sufficient, especially while Jewish lives remain at risk today.
“Holocaust Memorial Day must be a call to action. Antisemitism must be confronted early and decisively, everywhere it appears, before it escalates into violence. It is up to all of us.”
