How we can ensure Holocaust survivors continue to be heard | Letter

Prof Sara Jones writes of the challenges of teaching the Holocaust when its witnesses are no longer with us, and the importance of preserving their testimonies for future generations

Your editorial (Auschwitz will soon be lost to living memory. But remembrance must go on, 27 January) rightly makes the point that Holocaust education and remembrance is as important as ever. Teaching about the Holocaust must continue to be a cornerstone of teaching against antisemitism and other forms of xenophobia.

Survivors have long played a crucial role in Holocaust education. Their individual stories help students connect with a history that can otherwise overwhelm in terms of scale. And yet the era of the witness is coming to an end. We need to reflect now on what Holocaust education will look like in 10 years’ time while we are still able to draw on the wealth of experience gathered by those witnesses. This is a question that I have been discussing with colleagues from the National Holocaust Centre and Museum (NHCM), Holocaust Educational Trust (HET), and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT). Each of these institutions takes a different approach; however, three potential options are emerging.

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2GzoDPC