Virendra Sharma MP has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging his 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.
In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, hundreds of commemorative events have been 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 ‘Ordinary People’.
After signing the Book of Commitment, Virendra Sharma MP said, “Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people from Ealing Southall to reflect on the darkest times of European history. Today, I pledge to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in Holocaust.”
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said, “On Holocaust Memorial Day we remember the 6 million men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, simply for being Jewish, and we pay tribute to the incredible survivors, many of whom still share their testimony day in and day out to ensure that future generations never forget the horrors of the past. We also remember that antisemitism did not start or end with the Holocaust, we must all be vigilant, and speak out whenever it is found.”
The Holocaust Educational Trust was founded in 1988. Their mission is to raise awareness and understanding in schools and amongst the wider public of the Holocaust and its relevance today. It is our belief that the Holocaust must have a permanent place in our nation’s collective memory.
One of the Trust’s earliest achievements was to ensure that the Holocaust was included in the National Curriculum for England in 1991 – for Key Stage 3 students (11–14-year-olds). The Holocaust has remained on the National Curriculum since then. The Trust has also successfully campaigned to have the assets of Holocaust victims and survivors released and returned to their rightful owners in the late 1990s.