Union of Jewish Students

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAYS

On January 27, 2008, the Jewish community helped commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day in Great Britain. Throughout the country, there were various memorial services held, and student leaders were critical in planning and holding services designed to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, one of the darkest periods in human history.

The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day was Imagine...Remember, Reflect, React, which allowed for much varied programming throughout the country. UJS printed posters commemorating the Heroes of the Holocaust, a group of people whose actions during the war were able to save many from their fate at the hands of the Nazis. Postcards and posters were distributed on various campuses, and students were shown that the Holocaust was not only a time of death and destruction, but a time when many brave individuals stood up for their beliefs and helped save the lives of many as a result. This was also used as a link to the rest of the UJS’ Heroes Campaign which is launched officially next week and can be read about on the NEWS page of the UJS website.
At the University of London, a ceremony was held which heard various songs played on both piano and clarinet, songs from the movie Schindler’s List, and a variety of songs actually composed in the ghettos during the time of the Holocaust. There were also poetry readings and the recitation of various survivor testimonies so that others at the university union could truly appreciate the lessons of the Holocaust.
Groups of students, both Jewish and non-Jewish, attended the National Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony in Liverpool, which was attended by the Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. One of the hosts of the ceremony was actor Jason Isaacs, and the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, sent a recorded video message to be shown at the ceremony that was attended by approximately 1400 community members and students.
At various other universities, similar ceremonies were held, and students heard from survivors from the war who came to speak about their experiences during the Second World War. The National Union of Students also helped orchestrate a variety of different ceremonies and helped publicize events to the wider student community.
We are extremely fortunate in Great Britain that our country has decided to create a national day of commemoration for the Holocaust. Jewish students should be proud that the government is taking steps to create awareness about past tragedies, thereby bringing attention to current atrocities that are occurring around the world and further promoting the ideas of ‘Never Again’.