Holocaust Memorial Day 2022
Dear Parents/Carers
Thursday 27th January 2022 is Holocaust Memorial Day and I just wanted to let you know about the activities which we have planned at the Academy to mark this occasion. As you may be aware, Hanham Woods Academy, in partnership with University College London, is a Beacon School for Holocaust Education. We believe that exploring the issues around the Holocaust and other world genocides of the last 80 years provides students with many opportunities to consider the issues of diversity and tolerance and enables them, both now and in the future, to make the right choices with regard to their behaviour towards others. Holocaust Memorial Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on 27th January 1945 and is seen as a national opportunity to commemorate the six million victims of the Holocaust together with the victims of the many other genocides which have taken place since World War Two.
The following events have been/ will be taking place in the Academy.
Week beginning 17th January Staff professional development and training on Holocaust education.
20th January: Address by Mala Tribich, Holocaust survivor, to Year 9 students (who will be studying the Holocaust this year in History lessons). Mala is a Polish Holocaust survivor and spent time in both Ravensbruck and Belsen concentration camps. Her talk focuses on her experiences throughout the war.
24th -28th January 24th January Around 20 year 7, 8 and 9 students will attend a launch event for a project where they will explore the experiences of one family during the Holocaust between now and July. The project is in association with the makers of the Robert Rinder television documentary ‘My Family, the Holocaust and Me’ and students will work with the programme makers and the families during the course of this project.
Year Group Assemblies will focus on the Holocaust this week.
Tutor time activities will focus on other genocides that have taken place both during and after World War Two. Students will examine aspects of the porrajmos (the Nazi genocide against the Roma and Sinti people, also known as the Gypsies), the events at Srebrenica, part of the Bosnian genocide, as well as the genocide at Darfur in Southern Sudan.
Subject time all lessons will begin with a 2-3 minute reflection on a person or aspect of the Holocaust which relates to that subject.
27th January – Finally, we would like to invite you to participate in Holocaust Memorial Day in your families between 7.00 and 8.00 p.m. the following message from the Holocaust Educational Trust explains what to do.
At 8pm, get ready to Light the Darkness with us. Households across the UK will be lighting candles and safely putting them in their windows to:
- remember those who were murdered for who they were
- stand against prejudice and hatred today
Light a candle and put it in your window at 8pm on 27 January 2022 (if you are able to do so safely).
#HolocaustMemorialDay #LightTheDarkness
Some families may also wish to register to stream the National Holocaust Memorial Ceremony (which takes place at the same time) using the following link:
https://www.hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/ukhmd/
I hope this has explained the events which will be taking place more fully for you and that you will feel able to participate in your families as described above.
Yours sincerely,
Dominic Singleton | Curriculum Leader for Humanities and Holocaust Beacon School Lead Teacher
