London Mayor Sadiq Khan made an “emotional” first visit to the Imperial War Museum’s new Holocaust Galleries.

Mr Khan toured the galleries in the company of survivors John Hajdu, Jan Imich and Steven Frank ahead of an HMD ceremony at the Lambeth museum.

Stressing the importance of remembrance, the Mayor told the JC: “What’s remarkable is you have many survivors who spend time going into schools and speaking to young people. I know every time somebody does, it’s a trigger. It brings back traumatic events.

“Notwithstanding that, they choose to do so. Why? Because it’s important to make sure young children particularly are taught about the consequences of hatred, division, antisemitism.”

He added: “It is emotional. You really do feel the horror, the fear, the hatred.” Shoah educational organisations and HMD took the message to non-Jews, he added.

Mr Hajdu showed the Mayor the teddy bear which he managed to keep through the Nazi occupation — “the only thing I was able to bring with me”.

A survivor of the Budapest Ghetto, he recalled the horrific conditions he and his aunt Iby endured.

“About 20 people lived in each flat. We had only basic food. Water had to be brought up from downstairs, the bodies lying on the pavement everywhere. We were saved by the incoming Soviet Army minutes before the ghetto was going to be blown up.”

He continues to share his testimony in schools for the Holocaust Educational Trust.

“That gives me an opportunity to tell people that I’m living history standing in front of them and they must understand that what I say is what happened to me and many thousands of others.

“We all know that antisemitism is still around, not just in this country but in other countries as well and we must fight it in any possible way,” he added.

Mr Khan, Mr Frank and Rwandan genocide survivor Eric Murangwa Eugene spoke during the HMD ceremony at which Western Marble Arch minister Rabbi Daniel Epstein sang the El Male Rachamim memorial prayer and was joined on stage by the rebbetzen, Ilana, who also made a speech.

Music from violinist Emmanuel Bach opened and closed the service, which further featured contributions from Karen Pollock and Olivia Marks-Woldman, respective heads of the Holocaust Educational Trust and the HMD Trust.