[UK Parliament, 16.01.2025] Falkirk MP Euan Stainbank has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
Holocaust Memorial Day, observed on 27th January, marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. This year’s 80th anniversary is a poignant milestone, likely to be the last major commemoration with living survivors able to share their testimony.
Across the UK and beyond, schools, faith groups, and communities will hold events to remember all victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. This year’s theme, ‘For a Better Future,’ urges reflection and action against hatred in all forms.
After signing the Book of Commitment, Mr Stainbank said:
“This Holocaust Memorial Day marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and other Nazi concentration and extermination camps. It is a time to reflect on one of the darkest chapters in European history, to honour the six million Jewish men, women, and children murdered in the Holocaust, and to recognise the resilience of those who survived and rebuilt their lives.
“The testimonies and images that emerged from liberation exposed the full extent of the Nazis’ attempt to eradicate the Jewish people, giving rise to the enduring call, ‘Never Again.’ With antisemitism once again on the rise, we must reaffirm our commitment to remembering the victims and take decisive action to ensure anti-Jewish hatred is never allowed to flourish”.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day was established following an MP’s visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau with the Holocaust Educational Trust. Moved by his visit, Andrew Dismore MP proposed a bill, “to introduce a day to learn and remember the Holocaust” on 30 June 1999.
The Holocaust Educational Trust has been closely involved in the establishment and development of Holocaust Memorial Day since its inception in 2000. The theme for the UK Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 is ‘For a Better Future’.
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