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Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 is ONE DAY

Posted on : 26 Jan 2022

Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 is ONE DAY
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2022 takes place on the 27th of January and the theme for this year is, ‘One Day’.

Holocaust Memorial Day is One Day that we put aside to come together to remember, to learn about the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, in the hope that there may be One Day in the future with no genocide. We learn more about the past, we empathise with others today, and we take action for a better future.

HMD is a time when we seek to learn the lessons of the past and recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own – it’s a steady process which can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented.

The Holocaust threatened the fabric of civilisation, and genocide must still be resisted every day. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable and we cannot be complacent. Even in the UK, prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.

To show the council’s commitment to commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day, Llancaiach Fawr Manor and Blackwood Miners’ Institute will be lit up to show an act of solidarity.

A number of libraries such as Caerphilly, Blackwood, Bargoed and Newbridge will also be displaying pupils work from Primary Schools across the borough.

Schools received resources and information on The Day that Anne Frank received her Diary for her 13th Birthday, 12th June 1942. Anne described the diary as the best present she had ever received and used it as a tool to express her thoughts and feelings during times of uncertainty, celebration and horror.

Pupils were then encourage to write back to Anne and express their thoughts and feelings.

Survivors of the Holocaust and of genocide often talk about the One Day when everything changed, sometimes for the worse and sometimes for better.

Iby Knill feels that from One Day to the next, everything changed and yet nothing had changed:

“One day Gretl, my school friend…greeted me with an embrace. The next day she ran across the road and turned her head away so as not to acknowledge me.”

For Faiza, there was a defining day. Following a civil war in 2003, which has left millions of people displaced, the Sudanese government has supported Arab militia who have destroyed hundreds of villages, and murdered thousands of people. Faiza was targeted by the Sudanese Government for supporting victims of the genocide, and so, she says:

“One Day I decided to leave my country. It was a hard decision, but there was no other way. I left my home, my friends, my people; I left all my belongings. There is a book on a table near my bed open to page 49 waiting for me.”
 
Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Caerphilly Council’s Deputy Leader and Equalities Champion commented, “It is important that we continue to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, as the atrocities of the Holocaust and other genocides throughout the world must never be forgotten. This year’s theme, ‘One Day’ encourages us to focus on one day in particular of the Holocaust. One Day is just a snapshot in time and therefore cannot give the full picture, the context, the background that is needed, but it can help bring a piece of the full picture to life.
 
“We are encouraging children and family members to take part in a practical and engaging activities that raises awareness about the Holocaust and genocide and the people and countries that have suffered.”
 
The HMDT website is a great resource for teachers and parents who want educate their pupils/children to learn lessons from the past in creative, reflective and inspiring ways.

To get involved, visit the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s website: https://www.hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/
 
There are also hundreds of films, podcasts and documentaries which not only focus on the atrocities committed during World War II but also the following decades which shows the after effects of the crimes. Some notable movies/documentaries which have won multiple awards would include:
 
Schindler’s List (1993)
One of the greatest Holocaust films of all time and recipient of seven Academy Awards, Steven Spielberg’s sweeping epic Schindler’s List follows the real-life story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German businessman who saved the lives of more than 1,000 mostly Polish Jews by employing them in his factories during the Second World War. The stellar cast includes Ralph Fiennes as sadistic SS officer Amon Goeth and Ben Kingsley as Schindler’s Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern. 
 
The Pianist (2002)
This powerful biographical drama directed by Roman Polanski is based on the Holocaust memoir of Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman (played by Adrien Brody). Nominated for seven Oscars, The Pianist picked up three for best director, best adapted screenplay (Ronald Harwood) and best actor, as well as the Palme d’Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. 
 
Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution (2005)
Powerful six-part documentary series from the BBC, which presents an in-depth look at the story of Auschwitz and features interviews with former inmates, guards and re-enactments of historic events. From conception to reality, mass murder, experimentation and ultimately liberation and revenge, the series covers all aspects of this notorious Nazi camp, where more than one million Jews were sent to their deaths.
 
Holocaust Memorial Day enables us to remember – for a purpose. It gives us a responsibility to work for a safer, better, future for everyone. Everyone can step up and use their talents to tackle prejudice, discrimination and intolerance wherever we encounter them.


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