National Holocaust Memorial Day 2011
27th January 2011– Holocaust Memorial Day – marks the 66th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The theme for HMD 2011 is 'Untold Stories' and
offers an opportunity to listen to the voices from the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, and to make the lessons of hope for a safer, inclusive society where the differences between us are respected a reality today and in the future.
Schools and colleges are encouraged to involve students in active participation in HMD commemorations in order to remember the victims of Nazi oppression and the victims of more recent genocides. HMDT produces free resources on the annual theme.
For more information and resources on Holocaust Memorial Day please visit the website . A wide range of educational resources on this year's theme are available to download.
Additional resources about the Holocaust available on iRespect include:
Leon Greenman was born in London in 1910, but was living in Holland at the time of the Nazi occupation. He survived Auschwitz - but on arrival there lost his beloved wife, Else, and three year old son, Barney, to the gas chambers. He did not later remarry, but, instead, devoted his long life, post-Holocaust, to keeping alive the memory of those 6 million who died, endeavouring to inform the young and prevent such a dreadful thing ever happening again. This relentless reliving of his experiences must be at great personal cost to him, and we should play our part by listening, responding, and contributing to keeping alive memories for the young.
- Gloucestershire schools were priveleged to receive talks from Leon Greenman on several occasions. Sadly, he passed away in 2008. But he made a lasting impression on students and teachers - Read their tributes here.
- Stuart Butler, who was responsible for introducing Leon to Gloucestershire schools, encouraged students at Brockworth Enterprise School to help raise money for a memorial to Leon - Find out more and read Y7 poems here.
Roma, or Gypsies, are an ethnic group who have experienced some of the worst and most long standing discrimination, prejudice, and racism in our history.
Additional resources about the Holocaust are available for loan from READS:
For more information, contact Dee Russell-Thomas at READS, Tel: 01452-427261
- Auschwitz: MSPowerpoint presentation, display and resources available for loan to Secondary schools in Gloucestershire.
Terrezin : Resources are also available for loan on Terrezin, a concentration camp in the Czech Republic where a large collection of children's drawings and poetry has survived - though the children themselves perished.
Holocaust Memorial Day provides a unique opportunity for teachers to encourage young people to reflect upon the past, and make a personal commitment to active citizenship, and to combat racism in all its forms, wherever they may meet it.
Individual action, however small, makes a difference. This is a day to make a personal commitment.