by Molly Owens, Year 12
On the 28th January 2022, North Tyneside Council held a virtual event for Holocaust Memorial Day. The theme for the event was ‘One Day’ and schools from all over North Tyneside worked together to mark the memorial and remember all those who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the victims of anti-Semitism worldwide.
Alongside pupils from other schools in North Tyneside, William Beattie, Keira Edwards and myself worked to compile a selection of speeches centring around the theme of ‘One Day’. Keira’s reflection was a day in the life a Jew in Hitler’s Germany, mine was a day in Auschwitz Concentration Camp and William’s emphasising the importance of contemporary relevance of studying the Holocaust. All three aimed to bring attention to the individuals who suffered at the hands of the Nazi Party, and how important it is we do not forget that the victims were once people like us.
In addition to speeches, animations, songs and poems from other schools, representatives and members of the Jewish community across the area, the event provided a chance to hear the keynote speaker for 2022 – Trevor Avery. Trevor is an artist, historian and curator of the Lake District Holocaust Project; he offered up words of remembrance and commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust.
The event endeavoured to reflect on what we can learn from the past, promoting the understanding that there is always a path to genocide, it does not just happen. Furthermore, we must challenge prejudice, highlight the importance of tolerance, promote equality and continue to remember the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides in history.
The event was uploaded to YouTube and can be found here.