Learning about and commemorating these and the other subsequent genocides recognised as such by the UK government does not dilute our commemoration of the Holocaust. On the contrary, the fact that we commemorate these recent genocides is a key reason why Holocaust Memorial Day has increased so substantially in size, reach, scale and impact over the past 20 years, from just 400 events in 2005, when the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust was established, to nearly 20,000 events in 2020 during the last “milestone” year marking, the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. It is this model of Holocaust Memorial Day, established and supported by successive British governments, with the Holocaust at the very heart of its being, but also including commemoration of non-Jewish victims of Nazi persecution and the victims of subsequent genocides which has enabled Holocaust Memorial Day to engage people of all faiths, backgrounds and ages; to unify the nation around it and to teach new generations about the unique horrors of the Holocaust.
Recent pressures to disengage from commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day are led by organisations that have been historically antisemitic. It seems clear that they have no interest in commemorating the unique horrors of the Holocaust, nor the dangers of prejudice and hostility based on faith, ethnicity and other characteristics. Their agenda, sadly, is purely political and single-minded.
Our ground-breaking project this year, 80 Candles for 80 Years, specifically focusing on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, reflects the diversity of engagement.
This has been supported by schools, local authorities, museums, prisons and interfaith groups nationwide. Whoever and wherever you are, supporting Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 will help build a better future for us all.
Olivia Marks-Woldman is the chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
