EVESHAM and Pershore’s MPs have pledged to help stamp out prejudice in society by signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment.
Nigel Huddleston and Harriett Baldwin put pen to paper to coincide with tomorrow’s Holocaust Memorial Day which remembers those murdered during the Holocaust and pays tribute to the extraordinary survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people on the subject.
Saturday’s event marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the largest mass murder in history.
In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events are organised by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country.
This year’s theme of ‘The Power of Words’ is a particularly poignant one given the recent rise in hate-filled abuse, particularly on social media.
Mr Huddleston said: “The Holocaust started not in the gas chambers but with hate-filled words and now more than ever, we must all play our part in standing up to prejudice and calling out abuse wherever we see it.
“As the Holocaust moves from living history to just history, it becomes ever more important that we take the time to remember the victims and the events they suffered through.
Mrs Baldwin said: “The Holocaust Education Trust do remarkable work ensuring that today’s schoolchildren hear first-hand about the Holocaust.
“I have visited the camp myself with a group of local school children and have seen how affecting the trip can be. As the number of survivors declines, the Holocaust Education Trust ensures we never forget about this most horrific chapter in human history.”
Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Our mission is to educate young people from every background about the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance.
“We are very grateful to Nigel and Harriett for signing the Book of Commitment, signalling a continued commitment to remembering the victims of the Holocaust as well as challenging antisemitism, prejudice and bigotry in all its forms.”
