David Miliband and Daniel Finkelstein in conversation to mark Holocaust Memorial Day
Over 200 guests including Holocaust survivors, Parliamentarians, Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassadors and supporters gathered at The Houses of Parliament on Monday 21st January for our Lord Merlyn-Rees Memorial Lecture. The lecture featured guest speakers Rt. Hon David Miliband MP and Daniel Finkelstein, Executive Editor of the Times, who spoke about their family’s deep personal connections to the Holocaust and emphasised the importance of Holocaust education.
The annual event was hosted by journalist and broadcaster Martha Kearney whose mother-in-law was a Holocaust survivor and is strong supporter of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s work.
Download the lecture as a podcast here.
Guests also heard from the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Ambassador Jack Sanderson from Sutton Grammar School for Boys who spoke about why he has made a commitment to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to his peers and local community. UCL student Gameli Ladzekpo, who has been closely involved with HET since 2011 and recently been appointed a Holocaust Educational Trust Regional Ambassador spoke about the importance of survivor testimony. Imogen Dalziel, another new Holocaust Educational Trust Regional Ambassador, now studying at Birmingham University took part in the HET’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project in 2009 discussed the importance of challenging Holocaust deniers and educating others about the true horrors of the Holocaust to ensure such events do not happen again.
Former Foreign Secretary, Rt. Hon David Miliband MP said:
“I was born in 1965, only 20 years after the Holocaust, I am part of a transitional generation. In my family we weren’t burdened by the Holocaust, but we knew it was there. Seeing someone with a number tattooed on their arm aged 11 introduced me to the fact that something enormous had happened.”
Daniel Finkelstein, Executive Editor of The Times added:
“The Holocaust Educational Trust makes a vital impact, warning against hatred through personal stories. We need to work hard to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive when it is no longer living history, and that work will never stop.”