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Lady Victoria Starmer shares personal experience of visiting Auschwitz with HET students
Former solicitor and wife of former Prime Minister talks to south London teenagers ahead of their Holocaust Educational Trust visit to the Nazi death camp site
Lady Starmer underlined the importance of Holocaust education as she spoke with 175 post-16 pupils and teachers on Monday 9 November, ahead of their visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The students from schools across South London were attending their orientation seminar as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project.
Drawing on her own experience of visiting the former Nazi concentration and death camp, Lady Starmer reflected on the profound impact of witnessing the largest mass murder site in history and said:
“I’ve got Jewish heritage and family members that experienced the Nazi regime and concentration camps… And I can honestly say that my visits have been some of the most incredible and thought-provoking moments of my life.”
She went on to discuss with students the importance of taking what they learn from Auschwitz-Birkenau back into their schools and communities, becoming Ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust and standing against antisemitism:
“I’m so glad that the Holocaust Educational Trust runs programmes for young people to keep alive the memory and legacy of the Holocaust”, she said.
“And every one of you sitting here today is part of that next generation, you’re the courageous young ambassadors who are going to stand up for Holocaust remembrance and against antisemitism.”
Lady Starmer also introduced Holocaust survivor Steven Frank, who gave his moving testimony to the participating students. Born into a Jewish family in Amsterdam in 1935, he survived Westerbork and Theresienstadt concentration camps with his mother and two brothers. Frank’s father, who was involved in the Dutch Resistance, was arrested and later murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project has enabled more than fifty thousand students and teachers from across the UK to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau with support from the Department for Education.
Since 2006, the Project in England has received funding from the Department for Education.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Education Trust said: “We were delighted to welcome Lady Starmer and greatly appreciate her taking the time to address these young people as they begin their important journey with the Holocaust Educational Trust.
“Lady Starmer has always championed our work. Having previously hosted our young Ambassadors at 10 Downing Street, she knows the value of the next generation’s firm knowledge and immense courage to carry the legacy of the Holocaust and to speak out against anti-Jewish hatred today.
“I am sure her words left our students inspired before they head off on what will be an impactful visit.”
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