Hi Everyone,
Back in 2016 I took part in a programme called the Lessons From Auschwitz and became an Ambassador for the Holocaust Education Trust. The programme consisted of two days of seminars and a day trip to Poland to visit Auschwitz I, Auschwitz Birkenau and the town of Oswiecim. I spent three days surrounded by the incredible work of the Trust discussing the harrowing events of the Holocaust, meeting with survivors and planning for what we can do today to make sure their memory remains alive.
Taking part in the LFA programme changed my life and getting to continue being part of the Holocaust Education Trust is something I am increasingly grateful for. The trust runs events throughout the year from the LFA programme for Sixth Form students to the Ambassador Conference for those who have completed it. The conference is such an inspiring day and one that is not to be missed which is why I am taking this opportunity to share my experience at Am-Con 2019 which took place on Monday 1st July.
This year followed the theme of I am Your Witness as a tribute to all of the victims and survivors of the genocide. This meant we were lucky enough to experience some incredible talks and workshops that taught us the ways to stand up for the memory of the Holocaust and its victims as well as how to show others to do this too. I attended three amazing workshops during the day.
The first, ‘The Assault on Memory: Distortion of the Holocaust in Modern Europe’, was something I was drawn to pretty quickly as I was interested in getting more information about the views we are seeing all the time towards the Holocaust and the wider Jewish community. Hosted by Martin Winstone, it focused around some key evidence of governments and countries distorting the memory of the Holocaust and their role in it. The whole workshop was so engaging and really brought to light modern discrimination and desire to ruin or even get rid of the memory of the Holocaust.
The second workshop I attended was hosted by two speakers: Neomie Lopian, who is the daughter of two survivors, and Derek Niemann, the grandson of a former SS officer. I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this as the two opposing stories of their families made me wonder how the discussion would go. I can say it was easily one of the most incredible moments to witness, following the theme of ‘Growing up in the Shadow of the Holocaust’, the workshop provided a new insight into how the families of survivors come to process their background. It taught me so much about survival and not giving up, it also spoke to the importance of being a ‘witness’ for these people. Without them and us, memories would die, events would be distorted, and history would very easily repeat itself.
I also had the opportunity to take part in a skills-based workshop on ‘Be a Leader’ where we were able to discuss the ways that we can utilise our positions as Ambassadors and become stronger witnesses. It gave me so many new ideas and thoughts on events that can be run and ways to make my voice heard, its encouraged me to write this post and some others that are in the works (watch this space!!). Between this and the other incredible talks that were hosted by the likes of Maurice Blik (Sculpture and Survivor), Dave Rich (Director of Policy at the Community Security Trust) and Robert Rinder and Natasha Kaplinsky, the whole day can’t fully be put into words.
After such an incredible day we had time to think reflectively and talk to our regional ambassadors about our own Ambassadors pledge for 2019 and I took the opportunity to sign the Ambassadors Book of Commemoration. Here is what I collected in this time and the pledge that I made:
‘Today has given us the chance to witness the incredible academic research and studies into the Holocaust and the themes of Denial and Anti-Semitism. It has allowed us to witness the stories of survival and hope of some of the most inspiring people I have ever known and finally made us realise that we are the next generation of witnesses to Holocaust education. We are responsible for continuing the memory of those events and its victims, for telling the stories and teaching the truth. We as a generation have the best access yet to every opportunity to stand up against hate and we should be using them’.
This post was more of an overview of the conference itself but I’m hoping to get a post out soon that discusses more my thoughts on Holocaust Education and the themes included in it as well as more on the work of H.E.T and the survivors I have had the pleasure of meeting. In the meantime, if you want to know more about the actual workshops and talks I took part in then please get in touch I would be happy to talk all about them some more!
Thanks everyone and speak soon,
Aimee with a Double E.
xxx
Comments