REDDITCH MP Chris Bloore signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, marking Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the atrocity.
Holocaust Memorial Day falls on January 27 and pays tribute to the liberation of the former Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.
This year’s commemoration holds special significance as it marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation in 1945, across the UK and internationally.
With survivors becoming older and frailer, this is likely to be the last significant anniversary at which Holocaust survivors will be present and able to share their eye-witness testimonies.
The Holocaust Educational Trust has launched an innovative new scheme, Testimony 360: People and Places of the Holocaust, at Portcullis House in London.
The installation uses AI and virtual reality technology to enable visitors to interact with the testimony of Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg BEM and explore significant Holocaust sites, ensuring these crucial stories continue to be heard by future generations.
After signing the Book of Commitment, Mr Bloore said: “Holocaust Memorial Day this year marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.
“It presents an important opportunity for people from Redditch to reflect on the darkest times of European history.
“I pledge to remember the 6million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust and speak out against all forms of antisemitism, which in recent months has risen exponentially and which needs to be tackled head on.”
Karen Pollock CBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “The images and accounts that emerged at liberation revealed the full scale of the Nazis’ attempt to annihilate the Jewish people and this gave rise to the enduring call ‘Never Again.’
“This phrase embodies the hope that the Holocaust would serve as a stark warning to future generations of the consequences of unchecked hatred and antisemitism.
“As we mark this significant anniversary, the lessons of the Holocaust remain as urgent as ever.
“With survivors becoming fewer and frailer and with antisemitism continuing to surge across the world, we must all commit to remembering the 6million Jewish victims and must take action to ensure anti-Jewish racism is never again allowed to thrive.”
Redditch’s Holocaust Memorial Day event
At 11am this Sunday, January 26, everyone is welcome to attend an outdoor service at the Holocaust Memorial Marker in the town centre for a time of reflection and remembering all those who tragically lost their lives. It will feature selected readings and include laying of white roses.
Then, at 12pm at a ticketed event at the Ecumenical Centre, Holocaust survivor Simon Winston BEM and Mirsad Solakovic, who survived the Bosnian genocide, will share their stories.
Tickets are free. Visit redditchbc.gov.uk/things-to-do/events-in-redditch/redditch-holocaust-memorial-day-2025/ for more.
