Rochdale Students Engage with Holocaust Survivor in Powerful Educational Initiative
In a profoundly moving event that underscores the enduring importance of Holocaust education, pupils from Falinge Park High School in Rochdale recently participated in a unique interview session. Students Willow Greenwood, Abiha Imran, and Dylan Ogden had the honour of joining Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to converse with Tomi Komoly BEM, a Holocaust survivor, as part of the region's commemorative activities for Holocaust Memorial Day.
Annual Parliamentary Debate Highlights Ongoing Need for Remembrance
The House of Commons once again hosted its annual Holocaust Memorial Day debate, where MPs from across the political spectrum united to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Nazi regime and their collaborators. This solemn occasion serves as a critical reminder of the atrocities committed and the imperative to combat the ignorance and hatred that fuel genocides, both historical and contemporary.
In the lead-up to this significant day, there was a poignant meeting with 95-year-old Mala Tribich MBE, who, along with her brother Ben, were the sole survivors from their family after enduring the horrors of concentration camps. Ben was among the 700 Jewish children known as the "Windermere Children," who were brought to Cumbria in 1945, often orphaned and traumatised.
Personal Testimonies Bring History to Life for Rochdale Pupils
The story of Ike Alterman, another survivor who found refuge in the Lake District, is particularly resonant for students at Falinge Park High School. Ike, who passed away last December at the age of 97, visited the school three years ago, sharing harrowing accounts of his experiences. He described being forced to pick sprouts in freezing Polish winters for SS officers' Christmas dinners, with only straw tied to his feet for warmth. Ike recalled being promised a "bonus"—a ladle of warm water for sprout soup—if he and other children sang Silent Night, leading him to vow never to eat sprouts again.
At just 13 years old, Ike witnessed his mother, sister, and brother being taken at gunpoint, never to return. His duties at Birkenau included carrying bodies from the gas chambers to the crematoria, with chimneys that "glowed 24 hours a day." Thanks to dedicated educators like Holocaust education lead teacher Adele Turner, Ike's video testimony is now shown annually at the school, ensuring his story continues to educate and inspire future generations.
Greater Manchester Commemoration Features Student-Led Dialogue
This year's Greater Manchester Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration prominently featured Falinge Park pupils interviewing survivor Tomi Komoly BEM alongside Mayor Andy Burnham. Tomi has impressively spoken to 27,000 students over the past decade, delivering a simple yet powerful message: "Tolerance. Accept that we each have our own way of living… and live peacefully side by side." This interaction highlights the vital role of personal narratives in fostering understanding and empathy among young people.
Rising Antisemitism Underscores Urgency of Holocaust Education
Despite decades of educational efforts, the past year has starkly demonstrated that antisemitism remains a present and dangerous threat. Incidents such as the Bondi Beach attack and the assault on Heaton Park Synagogue on Yom Kippur serve as grim reminders of the persistence of hate crimes. Holocaust education, which has been part of the national curriculum for 35 years, extends beyond the Nazi genocide to include other atrocities in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. With young people increasingly exposed to online hate, denial, and distortion, this education is more crucial than ever in combating misinformation and promoting historical accuracy.
In a related effort, a visit to the Srebrenica Memorial Centre in Bosnia—where over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered in 1995—revealed that Rochdale pupils learn about Srebrenica as part of their Holocaust studies, a fact that heartened the centre's leaders and underscores the broad scope of genocide education.
Community Responses to Hate Crimes and Poetic Calls for Unity
Prior to the Holocaust debate, discussions were held with the Rochdale Council of Mosques at the Kashmir Youth Project, addressing the alarming rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes since October 7, 2023. These conversations emphasised the need for enhanced police presence, improved reporting mechanisms, and a robust crackdown on online hatred.
At this event, 17-year-old Hopwood Hall student Zeeshan Shafqat shared a poignant poem about tackling all genocides, which was so impactful that its key verse was read out in Parliament: "In ashes of pain, where names were erased, We stand together now, face to face/Muslim and Jew, hand in hand, Guarding the truth history demands…Never again, our shared vow remains." This poetic expression of unity and remembrance encapsulates the collective commitment to ensuring such horrors are never repeated.
