Andy Burnham’s strong voice in support of Holocaust education

There have been many column inches written about Andy Burnham and whether, as Prime Minister, he would be good or bad for the UK Jewish community and the State of Israel. This article is not about those issues. Rather, it is an opportunity to reflect on the work I have undertaken with him on Holocaust education and remembrance as Director of The Fed’s My Voice Project over the past four years.

During that time, we could not have found a more supportive partner than Andy. He attended events at schools, synagogues and civic venues, speaking passionately and powerfully about the importance of the stories shared by the My Voice Survivor Storytellers. As a small Holocaust-focused project compared to many others – but one that punches well above its weight, and one that hails from Manchester rather than London – Andy was delighted to lend his support.  In 2024, he said:

“The Fed’s My Voice project is a project of vital importance to the rest of the 21st century. Because we have to be honest, history may be in danger of repeating itself. We can’t rule out the possibility that the 2030’s could be like the 1930’s. And we all have to wake up to what is happening. And we have to listen, to what our survivors are saying in the stories they’ve related as part of the My Voice Project.”

He developed a close and deeply emotional relationship with Survivor Ike Alterman BEM, and wrote the foreword to his My Voice book, stating:

“I consider it one of the greatest privileges of my life to have spent time in the company of Ike Alterman. To hear him tell his story in his own words is to be in the presence of true greatness. To take in the enormity of what he lived through is one of the most profoundly moving experiences it is possible to have.”

When Andy made a personal visit to Ike’s shiva in early December 2025, he spoke with raw emotion.

One of the things Andy was most proud of was bringing together one of the great loves of his life – Everton FC – with Ike and the My Voice Project. We regularly take Survivors into football clubs across the North West, delivering presentations to players and staff. Andy arranged for Ike to share his life story with Everton FC Academy players in August 2024. Over 50 players and staff listened, spellbound, as Ike spoke. Andy closed the event by telling the players:

“As the future role models in society you will be looked up to and people will listen to what you say. That is why it is so important that you hear the lesson’s that Ike has shared – that hate is a disease and you must stand up to it.”

The My Voice books and associated teaching resources are used with great success by schools across Greater Manchester to enhance Holocaust education. The first-person narrative and whole-life stories resonate powerfully with students, something Andy recognised. Speaking after a school visit, he said:

“I’ve seen the power of the Fed’s My Voice Project work in schools. I had, again, the true privilege of watching my good friend Ike Alterman speak to young people at Wellington School in Greater Manchester, shortly after the occasion of the invasion of Ukraine, with Ukrainian refugees in the audience, and the power of it was utterly undeniable – the strength of it was something to behold. And to know now that the voices of our survivors will always ring out through our schools gives us hope, perhaps, in these difficult times in which we find ourselves.”

Alongside this, the Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations organised by Andy and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) were always moving and, importantly, maintained a clear focus on Jewish suffering during the Holocaust – something not always consistently reflected elsewhere.

Andy often said: “The Fed has provided an incredible service to all humanity by giving us the My Voice project.”

He recognised its importance – now more than ever. Under his leadership, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has committed to rolling out the My Voice PSHE resource, developed in the aftermath of the Heaton Park Synagogue terrorist attack. The programme uses the testimonies of three Mancunian Holocaust Survivors to bring British values to life. These testimonies demonstrate not only what democracy, respect and tolerance mean, but why they matter – and what happens when they are lost. This forms a central element of the GMCA’s Cohesion Strategy, with the aim of embedding the resource in all Greater Manchester primary and secondary schools from September 2026.

I will finish with two more quotes from Andy. He said:

“We have to act together to take on board what they’re saying and change so that we don’t allow history to repeat itself and so that never again means never again. That is what we must do. We must act on the words in the collection, in the My Voice project. And I look at our Survivors in saying, we owe that to you and we will act on your words. That is our solemn commitment to you.”

And, in that same spirit, he also said:

“The My Voice books should be in very school in the country.”

We agree, and as Prime Minister, we would hope to hold Andy to his word.

Raphi Bloom is the Director the My Voice Project at The Fed, the largest Jewish social care charity in Greater Manchester