Two years on from October 7th, Holocaust Memorial Day has been weaponised. But, we must never forget

For a quarter of a century, the UK has had a national day to remember the Holocaust, which takes place every year on 27th January, the anniversary of the moment that Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Over the last eight decades research about the Holocaust has been published, survivors have been interviewed, the most documented crime in history has been laid bare for all to see.

The Holocaust has become part of the national consciousness in this country.

Holocaust Memorial Day is marked by the great and the good – members of the Royal Family, including His Majesty The King, the late Queen Elizabeth II; and Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, successive Prime Ministers, celebrities and news commentators.

It has been, for many years, widely accepted that Holocaust education is a force for good, that remembering the darkest days in our shared history is hugely important.

Those who do not agree have, historically, been seen as fringe extremists, dismissed as antisemites and racists.

Today, it seems, there has been a shift.

In the aftermath of the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel, and with antisemitism at record levels in the UK, what we have seen is, sadly, a weaponisation of the day coming from certain quarters.

There are those who are adamant that it is no longer appropriate to remember the Holocaust, given that 80 years on, thousands of miles away, an unconnected conflict has taken place.

There are those who do not believe that Jewish men, women and children, massacred in towns and villages and gassed in purpose-built killing sites deserve to be remembered, because today there is a Jewish homeland.

And there are those who do not want to rock the boat, who do not want to risk the ire of extremists in their local communities by holding events.

The troubling consequence is that in the two years after October 7th, school participation in marking the day went down by 50 per cent.

And while this is shocking, it is not the full story.

Because while there are, undoubtably, huge challenges today, there are also signs that we are making an impact.

Against this horrendous backdrop, the work that we do gives in-depth, ongoing educational opportunities to young people.

Our records show that we are working with more schools, with uptake on our education programmes increasing by 26 per cent compared to pre-October 7th levels.

So, in this challenging environment, the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust is certainly making a dent.

The fact is, remembering alone is not enough.

Remembering the Holocaust as a purely historical issue is not enough.

Lighting a candle without knowing who you are remembering, or why, is not enough.

What works is helping young people to understand that the Holocaust did not – and could not have – happened in a vacuum.

Helping them to navigate the historical antisemitism that laid the groundwork for the Holocaust and helping them see the continuation of this Jew hate today. And it makes a difference.

The majority of the students we work with have never met a Jewish person, but they leave the classroom inspired to learn more about antisemitism, moved by the experiences of Jewish people in the past, and curious and empathetic about Jewish people in the present.

They go home and tell their parents and communities about the stories they have heard and the knowledge they have gained.

So today I implore all of those who are questioning whether or not to mark Holocaust Memorial Day – please do it.

Please remember the 6 million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis.

Please remember that the Holocaust happened because of antisemitism.

And please let the day stand as a reminder that we must never be silent in the face of hatred.

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Karen Pollock CBE is the chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust.

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