On Tuesday evening at the Roundhouse in London, we hosted 700 supporters, including 50 Holocaust survivors and their families at our 2022 Appeal Dinner, our key fundraising event of the year. We are delighted to have raised over £1,000,000. We thank all our supporters for their ongoing generosity.
Delivering the keynote speech, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP pledged continued Government support for the Trust's work. In his speech he said: "What the Holocaust Educational Trust does is to ensure that memory, that truth, is never forgotten... The work the Trust does is more serious and more important than anything else I can imagine, it is vitally important to support their work.”
Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg BEM reminded us "Our duty here this evening is to ensure that the world never forgets. That the Holocaust is remembered and antisemitism is challenged. I will do this for as long as I can, whilst there is breath in my body. But we can only do this together. The Holocaust Educational Trust can only do this with your support.”
Throughout the night we were proud to see our young Ambassadors representing the next generation, engaging with our beloved Holocaust survivors. Samar spoke movingly on the crucial role she, and other Ambassadors have in passing on the testimony of survivors:
"Thank you to the Holocaust Educational Trust, for giving me this experience, for all of the opportunities you give young people, and all you do to build our skills and confidence so that we can be strong advocates. And thank you to the survivors, thank you for trusting young people - with your memories. It’s an honour and a privilege."
We were honoured to have our friend, Nick Robinson as our compère during the evening. Nick has been a long supporter of the Trust, and has often spoken of his own family's experience of Nazi persecution. On the night, he told the 700 attendees the effect this has had on him:
“When my grandparents left Nazi Germany, I made a vow, that we will make sure everyone in this country knows what the Holocaust was, and ensure it never happens again”.
Karen Pollock, The Trust's Chief Executive, said last night: "It is our duty to safeguard the truth about history’s greatest crime. It is also our duty to remember the victims and honour their memory. As the years pass by, and our survivor community becomes fewer - we know one thing: It is up to us."
We will continue to ensure that the next generation will not forget the lessons of the Holocaust.
Thank you for your continued support.