Holocaust Memorial Day – 27 January
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day when we remember the horrors inflicted on the Jews of Europe and others considered undesirable by the Nazi regime in World War Two. I have been privileged, to meet several survivors of Auschwitz and although I have yet to visit the camp itself I was profoundly moved by their account of some of the terrible events conducted there and in other concentration camps.
In recent years there have been attempts by some to broaden the scope of the reflection on this day, to include other terrible but much smaller events. I think that is mistaken. The holocaust in World War Two was uniquely evil in that it was a state inspired attempt to completely annihilate an entire group of people from a whole continent. The only terror which comes close is Stalin’s purges, murders and deportations of millions of non-Russian peoples.
Last year I attended the Council Holocaust event in the Civic Offices. It was run by Reading Council for Racial Equality (RCRE) but I felt that it failed to treat the event with the non-political dignity which should have been accorded. The RCRE abused the opportunity to push their own political agenda and despite some moving elements to the occasion, I and others left feeling that things could and should have been run much better, with the main focus being on the Nazi’s murderous deeds. I was hopeful that this year people other than RCRE would organise a more suitable event, possibly led by Rabbi Solomon. When I received the invite from RCRE once again I decided that I would not participate this time.
I very much hope that in 2013 there will be an event which is Jewish led, attended by representatives of other groups who suffered in the Holocaust, and I will then be honoured to attend.
Europe is once again in a period of economic chaos and government instability. The conditions are there in some nations now for dictatorship and nationalism. Unemployment is almost 25% in Spain and Greece is teetering on the edge of widespread societal collapse. Earlier this week I watched a documentary about the Warsaw ghetto based on original footage filmed by German soldiers for propaganda purposes. It was shocking to see people starving and lying dead on the streets as others walked past. We must never forget what was done across Europe in the name of the German people and their supporters in other nations.
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About Richard…
Richard is a Conservative Councillor on Reading Borough Council representing Peppard ward since 2007, having been re-elected in May 2011. He previously represented Thames ward from 2001 to 2004. He is currently the Conservative Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport on Reading Borough Council.
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Richard
If you had attended Holocaust Memorial Day in Reading, along with a throng of Jewish people, and people of all races, you would know that the Jewish community in Reading played an important part in the ceremony, as always, and that prayers were led by Reading’s rabbi. A Holocaust survivor told his story, which was clearly seared on his memory.
The Rwandan ambassador also reminded us of that ghastly genocide, also an attempt to wipe out an entire ethnic group, the Tutsis, but moderate Hutus also, from their homeland. And it was done by extremists wanting state power for themselves.
Of course we must never forget what the Nazis did in Europe, but Rwanda, ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Halabja, happened after the world proclaimed “Never again” to genocide.
And Richard, it is racism and the exploitation of racist and nationalist views by the unscrupulous and power-hungry, that are our ever-present danger.
Bet, I have given my impression of last year’s event which was one I know was shared by others.
Bet, give me a ring about this.
NOTE: I have blocked two comments on here: one for a vile and racist attack on me for supporting HMD and a second accusing me of being racist for criticising RCRE!!
Can I remind any commenters that I do not permit abusive or racist comments on my blog and I will block any further such comments. This should be about the dignified remembrance of those who suffered the appalling events of the holocaust and not about party politics. Cllr Tickner’s comments were entirely reasonable and they were allowed through, so please exercise some decency and self restraint.
I was also at last the Holocaust event last year in the Council Office and agree that the way that RCRE used the event to promote their own ends was shameful. They abused their position of chairing the meeting to oppose the Council cut to their grant and to lobby for its return. Holocaust Memorial should not be used for such shameful purposes.
The small group that runs RCRE for many years will not tolerate any opinions other than their own and bully anyone who disagrees with them. I know this myself.
A Memorial day organised by the Rabbi with gay and ethnic minority participation would be much better than the format used in past years.
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2096459_rcre_sacked_contract_worker_unfairly
The former RCRE member puts it very well. I too was shocked by RCRE’s behaviour last year – hijacking what should have been a solemn and dignified remembrance service focussed on the Holocaust – turning it instead into a political vehicle to further RCRE’s own ends. It was inappropriate and the wrong occasion.
A rethink of the future format of Holocaust Memorial Events is needed. Children and young people need to be attracted to it, not just adults from all backgrounds. I know there have been one or two children over recent years, but it is important to attract many more.
It would be wholly appropriate for future events to be lead by the Rabbi with others helping from a range of cultural backgrounds.
This year I didn’t attend the Holocaust event. However whilst thinking about the Holocaust I came across this beautiful short film. (It won the Ridley Scott 3-minute film competition) http://www.porcelainunicorn.com/
Dear Counsellor Willis,
I think you may have been misinformed regarding the purposes of Holocaust Memorial Day.In 1999 Andrew Dismore MP , subsequent to a moving visit to Auschwitz,with the Holocaust Educational Trust ” Lessons From Auschwitz “ programme, suggested to Tony Blair PM that a day to commemorate the atrocities of Holocaust should be considered for the UK. The PM agreed .
On January 27th 2000 forty four Governments were represented , including Greta Britain, met in Stockholm to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance and research. At the conclusion of this forum each of these Governments unanimously signed a declaration which formed the basis of the Statement of Commitment adopted for Holocaust Memorial Day. In essence they include:-
Sstatement 1 recognises, as you seem to, the horror of the Holocaust as being unprecedented.
Statement 2 recognises that the Holocaust must have a permanent in our nation’s collective memory, as you seem to do.
Statement 3 recognises that future generations understand and reflect on the causes and consequences of the Holocaust. This goes on to state that “we vow to remember the victims of Nazi persecution and of all other genocide.” In Reading this is what we have done every year. We commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and other Nazi atrocities AND OTHER GENOCIDE. Until this year due to a very full programme, we have had young people and people from different faiths and beliefs and some of those groups that were also victims of Nazi atrocities, participate in a very moving candle lighting ceremony.
Statement 4 recognises that the value of the sacrifices of people who risk their lives to protect or rescue victims.
Statement 5 recognises that as a society we are still affected by the belief that race, religion, disability or gender make some people’s live of less worth than others . Prejudice and discrimination of such people continues and the statement goes on to say “ we have a shared responsibility to fight these evils.” This is what RCRE HMD Steering Group participates in doing not just for HMD but all through the year.
Statement 6 goes on to pledge our efforts to promote education and research about the Holocaust AND OTHER GENOCIDE.
Statement 7 goes on to encourage the remembrance of the Holocaust by holding an annual Holocaust Memorial Day [ since 2004 this is now the United Nations International Holocaust memorial Day ]. It states condemnation of the evils of prejudice , discrimination and racism, valuing a free and democratic society.
So it is very clear that RCRE and the HMD Steering Group does reflect these statements. It is not intended to be led by a Jewish person or group but by a cross community group which RCRE has.
The Jewish community worldwide has its own day ,Yom HaShoah, to remember and reflect upon the Holocaust. This is on the anniversary of the liberation of Belsen by British troops on April 15th 1945, the Jewish date of 27 Nissan , on which it is commemorated each year,this year April 19th. This of course does not preclude Jewish members of the community from contributing to local initiatives.
What you missed by not attending this year was a very moving account by Holocaust surviror Freddie Knoller of some of his experiences during the Holocaust. You also missed two Reading school students who spoke movingly about their visit to Auschwitz with the HET Lessons From Auschwitz project last year . As part of their work they gave the audience a very confident account of how this visit has influenced their lives and made them more aware of being able to identify the early signs of intolerance, prejudice, discrimination and persecution in society today.
Marcia Perkin
RCRE & Reading HMD Planning Committee Member
Marcia – Thank you for your informative comments. As I have replied to your message which you also emailed I will not post again here.
Dear Richard,
Only a few days ago I was commenting about yourself how although you are a Tory, I have heard you speak before and you were far less entrenched in your opinions on equality issues than some of your peers. Sadly your comments about Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) have made me reconsider my thoughts.
The RCRE with the assistance of other organisations arrange an excellent event each year to commemorate HMD. The event is totally inclusive and has in my experience always highlighted that the victims of the Holocaust and many subsequent genocides have not been merely from one ethnic, religious or other marginalised group.
I am aware that the former Chief Executive of the RCRE has responded to this blog, but his comments have not appeared, although the comments by ‘A former RCRE Member’ whom we all know by another name has been included, but perhaps this is because he supports your stance.
It would be great if you included both the former RCRE Chief Executives comments plus my response, but I will not hold my breath for censorship seems to be the order of the day.
Yours
Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Member of the RCRE
General Secretary to the West Berkshire MInority Ethnic Forum
Ruwan – I have made my views clear about last year’s HMD event and the way that the RCRE leadership abused their position to promote their own cause, which distracted from the purposed of the event itself. HMD should be free from such campaigning and self promotion by any group.
As I have explained many times before I do not allow abusive or racist comments on my blog and the comment from the former RCRE Director was both abusive and offensive. It has not therefore been allowed through!
Richard,
I have read one of the former RCRE Director’s responses to you. It is very direct and challenging, but as for abusive and racist why not publish it in your blog and let the audience judge for themselves. As for the response being abusive and offensive, I personally do not read that into the response, but there again, this is the arena in which I work, and I have been challenged far more robustly by others before.
Whilst pondering on this, why not come down to West Berkshire and visit the Anne Frank Exhibition that is being held in the Kennet Centre, Newbury. We would love to see you, and our own politicians who sadly have in the main been noticeable by their absence.
The exhibition is being hosted by the West Berkshire Minority Ethnic Forum, supported by Marcia Perkin, who is herself a Fellow of the Imperial War Museum Holocaust Exhibition. We have also organised an evening event on the 8 February, in Newbury Council Town Hall at 1830hrs, where the audience will be able to listen to and ask questions of a Holocaust survivor .
Yours
Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Member of the RCRE
General Secretary to the West Berkshire MInority Ethnic Forum
Ruwan – I would love to come and see the exhibition. I have been involved in creating several such exhibitions myself and am always keen to see how others do things. It would be good to meet you as well!
Dont listen to anything Rajinder Sophal says, he has his own agenda and will not tolerate any disagreement. Most of the other RCRE members are more sensible and you can have a discussion with them.
Richard I may add to your points and to Marcia Perkin’s above as follows:
Freddie Knoller was unaware that there would be a Rwandan speaker – and he was very angry about it, as he said at the time. He made that very clear to me too, although he did not make a scene. I believe that the Rwandan speaker was actually very appropriate and sympathetic, and he spoke very well. We were honoured that it was the High Commissioner of Rwanda who came here for the event. I do think that Mr Knoller could have been informed of his presence in advance as a matter of basic courtesy. Perhaps the RCRE could not that for future reference.
I do agree that the RCRE abused the event last year but this was not in evidence this time. I feel that you should have given the event your support as it is a civic event and should be representative of all parts of the community. I understand why you felt uncomfortable about coming – frankly had the same thing happened again I would have walked out. But it didn’t. And the event was abused last year – which was when I complained about the event’s hijacking to Rajinder Sophal, in the council chamber itself at the time. Did you say anything last year?
This year the Jewish contingent were in some measure there because we are few in number and some of us are in mourning – so some came for the prayers we said informally after the meeting was over. A student member of my community was frustrated by the formalistic nature of the event and the obsessive praising and recounting of the glories of each “dignitary”. This event should be a commemoration and a presentation – not a recital of the worthies present. We honour and know all the important people who are there – but this is not what HMD is about.
I was invited to say a prayer. That was the sole extent of my involvement in the event. I await a written invitation to do anything more than say a prayer. Do I have nothing more to contribute to the event? I feel that your sentiments are in the right place.
If the event remains so limited and uninspiring (Freddie was a gem as was His Excellency, but why so many speeches?) people will start to wonder who it is really for. I really do not think this is in the interests of Reading or the RCRE. I suggest a major rethink.
Ruwan you know how to get in touch with me. Please do.
For further information: The following was what Get Reading (the Reading Post) had on its website about the event:
Holocaust Memorial Day brings lessons from history
By Sally Bryant
January 20, 2012
Events are running next week to ensure Reading doesn’t forget the horror of the Holocaust.
The arts and discussion-based programme is going under the ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ banner, the theme of next Friday’s national Holocaust Memorial Day 2012.
The main organisers are Unity Arts Music and Multimedia, Reading Council for Racial Equality and Reading Borough Council.
Also involved are local Holocaust expert Marcia Perkin, Reading Museum, Reading Hebrew Congregation, Reading Faith Forum, Reading Refugee Support, Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC), the Mapp Centre and Reading Girls and Blessed Hugh Faringdon schools.
Yiddishe actress and singer Adela Gotleib will open the week on Monday with a performance in which she will share the story of how she got into acting and sing Yiddishe songs.
Every lunchtime (1pm to 2pm) from Monday to Thursday, workers will be able to have some food for thought with their sandwiches at the Soane Room in Reading Town Hall. ‘Caritas’, a 20-minute film by local film maker David Wall, will be screened – Caritas Umulisa is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and she talks about her experiences. The film will be followed by a debate.
Oscar and Bafta award-winning film ‘The Killing Fields’ is being shown at The Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) in London Street from 6.30pm on Monday for those who want to see and discuss this harrowing story of a reporter in Cambodia at the height of Pol Pot’s bloody cleansing campaign.
And ‘Cuba An African Odyssey’, a documentary about Cuba’s involvement in African liberation over 30 years, will begin at 7pm at the Mapp Centre in Silver Street, Katesgrove, on Thursday.
Writer and actress Amantha Edmead will run with the ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ theme during experimental workshops at The Blessed Hugh Faringdon and Reading Girls schools. She will use role play to encourage teenagers to think about themes including separation, discrimination and prejudice.
An exhibition at RISC, running from Monday to Thursday, will highlight in words and pictures the Transatlantic slave trade and its links with Reading.
An evening of remembrance will be held at the Civic Centre in Castle Street from 6.30pm on Wednesday. The guest speaker will be holocaust and concentration camp survivor Freddie Knoller.
Council leader Councillor Jo Lovelock will also speak and there will be a candlelight ceremony.
A literature review and an open debate will be held from 7.30pm on Tuesday in the Civic Centre’s Kennet Room.
Local experts will disect books about the Holocaust and listeners will be able to join a discussion about issues relating to genocide.
All the events are free. Anyone wanting to see Adela Gotleib perform should email marcia.perkin@ntlworld.com.
For information about other events contact John Sailsman on (0118) 996 8084 oremail info@unityartsonline.com; Lucy Burgess at the council on (0118) 937 2771, Lucy.burgess@reading.gov.uk; Irene Cameron at the council on (0118) 937 2387, or Victor Koroma, Reading Council for Racial Equality, (0118) 951 0279, victor@rcre.co.uk.
Reading East MP Rob Wilson has signed a book of in the House of Commons, pledging his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day.
This is from URL http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2106818_holocaust_memorial_day_brings_lessons_from_history
*my* comments:
Please note: The list missed out a meeting by Reading Interfaith Group this last week.
There are events about Cuba, Cambodia, Rwanda, and the Holocaust. Yet it seems to have been compartmentalized. For example the RISC event is a showing of a film but no tie-in or speaker about the Holocaust and why Cambodia was allowed to happen 30 years after Hitler. This is indeed become a free-for-all. HMD events I have seen have always related genocides back to the Holocaust, and I know that many Holocaust survivors are most distressed that people are using the Holocaust to promote other agendas. There are fewer and fewer survivors left and we need to ensure that if this is indeed a Holocaust and not merely a Hate and Discrimination memorial day, then the Holocaust should be central to what we do in Reading and nationally.
Moreover I am concerned that there was a failure to engage major groups which were persecuted by the Nazis and who had their own Final Solution.. For example gypsy/Roma, the Disabled, Slavs (we have many Polish and Czech people living amongst us whose families suffered terribly in the Nazi scheme) homosexuals, Trades Unions, Freemasons and Jehovah’s Witnesses seem to have been left out. I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of RCRE to contact all the groups in Reading representing all of these groups and enlist their participation. I’ve been here in Reading for more than three years and have yet to see any effort to do this.
I regard the event last week as a start but only a start in the right direction. Have the RCRE’s committee seen any other events in other boroughs which are considered to be leading the trends in making HMD relevant and universal whilst maintaining that essential link that it is a *Holocaust* day? I have participated in some myself. Isn’t it now time to get things moving properly?