Watford MP Dean Russell attended a Holocaust Memorial Day event which took place at Three Rivers House in Rickmansworth.
The Holocaust Memorial Day is a time for everyone to remember the millions of people persecuted in the Holocaust during WWII, and each year across the UK thousands of people come together to honour their legacy.
This year marks the 78th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than 1.1 million people were killed. More than 6 million were murdered during the Holocaust, as were hundreds and thousands of Roma and Sinti.
A few weeks ago The Holocaust Educational Trust held their annual reception in Parliament ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day. The reception was attended by over 150 people, and Dean Russell joined numerous MPs such as Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi, Education Minister Rob Halfon, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. They heard a harrowing survivor story from Polish-born Janine Webber, who lost most of her family in the Nazi genocide.
The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘ordinary people’, because the holocaust was such an extraordinary event in human history, yet the people it affected were ordinary people just like anyone else.
Speaking after the event Dean said “It was an honour to be invited to attend the service at Three Rivers House today to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. The Holocaust Educational Trust reception that I attended in Parliament was incredibly moving, as we heard stories from survivors. It is important we ensure the victims of the Holocaust are never forgotten, and today also provides an opportunity to remember the victims and survivors of genocides which followed around the world.”
