Holocaust and genocide survivors come together for tea
Guests gathered at private north London home to hear Holocaust Memorial Day Trust's plans for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau
Holocaust survivors, survivors of more recent genocides, and their families came together for an afternoon tea reception in support of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) on Thursday 23rd May.
The event, held at the private home of Lady Rosa Lipworth CBE, a former hidden child during the Holocaust, offered a chance for attendees to connect and hear about HMDT’s plans for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Amongst the guests were Shoah survivors Vera Schaufeld, John Hajdu, Martin Stern, Joan Salter, Mala Tribich and Steven Frank.
Chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman said: “It was truly heart-warming to see survivors and supporters of HMDT come together for an afternoon of tea ahead of next year’s significant anniversary.
“Lady Lipworth was a most amazing host and sharing the impact of Holocaust Memorial Day in such a beautiful setting was truly wonderful. As we approach the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia, it is more crucial than ever to remember and learn from the past to build a better future.”
Smajo Beso OBE, a survivor of the genocide in Bosnia, spoke about his experiences and the importance of understanding the dangers of prejudice and violence in our own time: “As the Holocaust moves further into history, there is a danger that people begin to believe that its relevance is also fading.
“Nothing could be further from the truth: my experience from Bosnia shows, the patterns of de-humanisation and division that led to the murders of six million Jews, Romani and others are still present in our world, and without eternal vigilance we are always at risk of repeating the catastrophe of the 1940s and 90s.”
The event culminated in a fundraising appeal to support HMDT’s efforts leading up to Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January 2025.
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