Sir Keir Starmer speaking at the Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony (Photo: Sam Churchill)[Missing Credit]
He described the indifference of Nazi guards, adding: “It showed me...that this was a collective of thousands of ordinary individuals, utterly consumed by the hatred of difference, and that is the hatred that we stand against today, and it is a collective endeavour for all of us to defeat it.”
Starmer also made a firm pledge to ensure Holocaust education becomes a fundamental part of the national curriculum. “We will have a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre next to Parliament, boldly and unapologetically as a national statement of the Holocaust. To speak this truth for eternity,” he said.
“We will ensure that all schools teach it, to give every young person the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony. Because by learning from survivors, we can develop that empathy for others and an appreciation for our common humanity, which is the ultimate way to defeat a hatred of difference.”
The Prince of Wales, who was accompanied by the Princess of Wales, also honoured the victims of the Holocaust and paid tribute to those who risked their lives to save others during the Nazi regime.
“On this 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we also recall those who risked their own lives to help and save others,” William said. “They risked death, torture, and persecution to defy the aggressors. Their bravery in sharing the most empowering moments of their lives are extremely powerful, and sure we never forget, I assure them, we never will.”
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The Prince of Wales spoke about his great-grandmother, Princess Alice, who saved a Jewish family in Nazi-occupied Athens (Photo: Sam Churchill)[Missing Credit]
Reflecting on his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who saved a Jewish family in Nazi-occupied Athens, the Prince shared a personal story of heroism.
“I was recently reminded of my great-grandmother, Princess Alice, who lived in Athens during the Second World War. She worked tirelessly for the Red Cross, helping to organise soup kitchens, opening shelters for orphaned children, and setting up a nursing system for poor areas of the city.”
He spoke of how Princess Alice sheltered Rachel Cohen, a Jewish widow, and her children, hiding them from the Gestapo. “Thanks to her, the entire family survived,” Prince William concluded.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who was unable to attend in person due to his participation in the Auschwitz liberation ceremony, delivered a video address. He warned of the dangers of forgetting the lessons of history and the risk of allowing hatred to rise again.
The Princess of Wales lights a candle at the Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony (Photo: Sam Churchill)[Missing Credit]
“If we forget, if we fail to remember, we risk a future where dehumanisation takes root to the extent that it is taught in schools, amplified by the media, and enshrined abroad,” Rabbi Mirvis said. “There is a future, God forbid, where falsehood triumphs over truth. There is a future where hatred and indifference remain – a future where long-standing friends and neighbours stand idly by while innocent people are herded together to be tortured and murdered.”
Rabbi Mirvis stressed the importance of taking action to prevent such a future, urging: “There is a better future if we choose courage over complacency, if we view others who are different from us not as ‘the other’, but rather as precious individuals, all created in the image of God. There is a better future if we carry the legacy of our extraordinary survivors, not as a burden, but as a beacon.”
Co-lead of Progressive Judaism Rabbi Josh Levy, whose grandfather Reverend Dr Isaac Levy was the senior Jewish chaplain to the British Liberation Army, spoke alongside Mervyn Kersh, a Jewish former soldier, who was stationed near Bergen-Belsen when the camp was liberated.
Rabbi Levy read an extract from a letter home written by his grandfather.
“I cannot describe the indescribable. There are no words to convey the tragedy and misery of those tens of thousands of hapless victims,” he had written.
Rabbi Levy then chanted the Jewish memorial prayer El Malei Rachamim.
Alongside the commemoration of the Holocaust, this year’s ceremony also marked the 30th anniversary of the Bosnian genocide, a tragedy in which over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica were killed.
The Prince of Wales chats to guests at the Holocaust Memorial Day reception (Photo: Sam Churchill)[Missing Credit]
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust honoured the survivors of this genocide, acknowledging the importance of remembering all victims of mass violence. “As we remember the six million Jews lost to the Holocaust, we also honour the victims of genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda, and beyond,” the Trust stated.
The ceremony ended with the lighting of candles by Prince William and young representatives of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, each candle symbolising a life lost to genocide.
Also in attendence was Rob Rinder MBE, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Trust Laura Marks, and other relgious figures.
The Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony (Photo: Sam Churchill)[Missing Credit]
Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, CEO of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, closed the event by reminding attendees of their collective responsibility.
“This year’s UK ceremony… provides a focal point for the nation’s commemorations. Eighty years after the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, it’s our responsibility to carry forward the legacy of the survivors, honour the memory of those who were murdered, and stand resolutely against those who deny the truth or fuel prejudice and intolerance today.”
