This week, as part of our Focus Week topic of Holocaust Memorial Day, Mr Rivers-Boyce (Head of History) is leading each House assembly. The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day this year is ‘Bridging Generations’. We make sure that we remind our students of the lessons learn from history regarding discrimination, intolerance, and where this can lead.
The assembly references other genocides around the world, how they occur, and that the Holocaust didn’t start with death camps. Instead, it began with dehumanising language and taking away civil rights. In tutor time, students have been following up the assembly by looking at survivor testimony from both the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, as well as talking about prejudice in the UK.
The Friary School works with University College London in holding Holocaust Beacon School Status. This reflects our ongoing commitment to high quality teaching about the Holocaust, and is an award we take great pride in.
Next week, we’re honoured that Michelle Richman will be coming in to talk to Year 9 about her father, Zigi Shipper BEM. The Holocaust Educational Trust have a profile on him here. Michelle spoke in school last year, and pupils found her father’s story a fascinating insight into their study of the Holocaust.
Our memorial display this year presents just a fraction of the books that have been inspired by true stories of survivors, and events which happened during the Holocaust. Books are like living memories, keeping the survivors’ stories alive long after they are gone. Texts which bridge the generations through reading mean these events can never be forgotten. The display has been inspired by the quote: “Write what should not be forgotten.” (Isabel Allende)
We link this to encouraging our students to read widely. All the evidence shows that students who read regularly improve their language, understanding of the world, and their academic achievement too. Our School Library holds a number of books specific to the Holocaust. Many of these books are fiction and are accessible to younger readers; our librarian will advise on age-appropriateness.
Examples of titles include Lyn Smith’s ‘Forgotten Voices of the Holocaust’, Jane Shuter’s ‘Auschwitz’ and of course Anne Frank’s diary too.
Mr Rivers-Boyce, Head of History, said: “This week is about remembrance but even more importantly, for the next generation, is ensuring that events like the Holocaust can never happen again.”
