MP Wera Hobhouse has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, pledging her commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those murdered during the Holocaust.
The MP also payed tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
Saturday 27th January marked the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the largest mass murder in history.
In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events were arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. The theme for this year’s commemorations was ‘The power of words’.
Before signing the Book of Commitment, Wera Hobhouse commented: “I’m signing this book today to commit myself to never forget the victims of the holocaust. My own family, my mother’s family, were victims of the Nazi regime, and the holocaust.
“They weren’t themselves executed, but there are many forms of persecution, and we as politicians need to work against racism and the politics of division. I commit myself by signing this book.”
Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “The Holocaust did not start in the gas chambers but with hate filled words. Our mission is to educate young people from every background about the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance.
“We are very grateful to Wera for signing the Book of Commitment, signalling a continued commitment to remembering the victims of the Holocaust as well as challenging antisemitism, prejudice and bigotry in all its forms.”