Angela Rayner pledges commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day

Angela Rayner, Ashton- under-Lyne MP, has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, pledging her support for Holocaust Memorial Day and her commitment to remembering the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, while paying tribute to the survivors who continue to educate younger generations.

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27 January each year, marking the anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. On this day, communities across the UK and around the world come together to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and to remember the liberation of Nazi concentration camps across Europe.

With Holocaust survivors becoming fewer and increasingly frail, the responsibility to remember and to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten now falls to future generations. Holocaust Memorial Day remains a vital opportunity to bring the Holocaust to the forefront of national consciousness and to reflect on its lasting lessons.

In the lead-up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will take place across the country, organised by schools, faith groups and community organisations. These events will remember the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, under this year’s theme, “Bridging Generations”, which highlights the importance of passing memories and lessons from survivors to young people.

Holocaust Memorial Day also commemorates and pays tribute to all those persecuted by the Nazis, including Roma and Sinti people, disabled people, gay men, political opponents and others who were targeted under the regime.

After signing the Book of Commitment, Angela Rayner said: “Holocaust Memorial Day this year marks over 80 years since the liberation of the infamous former Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1945. Today presents an important opportunity for people in Ashton, Audenshaw, Droylsden and Dukinfield to reflect on the darkest times of European history. I pledge to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust and speak out against all forms of antisemitism, which in recent months has risen exponentially and which needs to be tackled head on.”

Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, also emphasised the importance of remembrance and action. She said: “On Holocaust Memorial Day we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators; and we honour the survivors who rebuilt their lives while coming to terms with unimaginable loss.

“Over 80 years on, the Holocaust is fading further into history. As the voices of survivors sadly fade, the responsibility to continue their legacy passes firmly on to the next generation. The urgency to protect their stories is crucial.

“This Holocaust Memorial Day comes at a moment of renewed danger for Jewish communities worldwide. From Bondi Beach in Australia to Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester, Jewish people have been murdered while observing their holiest days. These atrocities did not occur in a vacuum. Antisemitism has been allowed to grow louder, more brazen and increasingly normalised.

“Holocaust Memorial Day must be a call to action. Antisemitism must be confronted early and decisively, everywhere it appears, before it escalates into violence. It is up to all of us.”