More than £1m raised for HET fundraiser to protect future of Shoah education

Nearly 3,000 donors have crowdfunded more than £1m to a Holocaust Educational Trust initiative to ensure the history of the Shoah is never forgotten.

Hundreds of HET ‘champions’ including Holocaust survivors campaigned for sixty hours to raise the staggering sum from donors as part of the ‘Their Legacy, Our Future’ campaign.

The Trust was supported by well-known figures including the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, and even England footballer Mason Mount.

Survivor Harry Kessler raised nearly £4,000 for the appeal. He said: “HET’s outreach work and it’s training of teachers is invaluable in the education of young people and in preparing them to confront hate and racism in the future wherever they meet bigotry and ignorance.”

The family of fellow survivor, Harry Spiro, raised over £16,000 for HET, saying: “My dad has always believed that good education is the key to combating hatred. This is why the work of the Trust is so vital.”

As part of the campaign, the charity produced two new videos, including an animation called ‘Tell me your story’ and a collection of survivor testimony called ‘Their Legacy, Our Future’.

Welcoming the fundraising drive, the Chief Rabbi said: “The outstanding activities and work of HET are of critical importance, not just to the Jewish community but to everyone within our society at this time, when sadly levels of antisemitism are increasing.”

Karen Pollock, the chief executive of the charity, said she had been “overwhelmed” by the support shown by donors right across the country.

“We are at a crucial juncture – the Holocaust is moving from living history to memory,” she said. 

“It is our responsibility to ensure education about the Holocaust thrives in a future without our beloved survivors. We must ensure that future generations know and learn the lessons of history.”

To find out more, visit the campaign page https://www.charityextra.com/het.