A month‑long exhibition honouring the rescue of Jews during the Holocaust opened in Worcester on Monday, accompanied by stark warnings about rising antisemitism and calls to confront hatred in modern society.
Between Life and Death: Stories of Rescue During the Holocaust presents stories of rescue in fourteen European countries, giving voice to both rescuers and survivors, highlighting their courage, resilience, and will to live.
The exhibition, sponsored by the University of Worcester, is now open at The Hive and is free to view.
Speeches were given by several attendees, including the organisers of the exhibition, Worcestershire Interfaith Forum, Louis Stephen, the Chair of Worcestershire County Council, and Dr Matt Lamb, Mayor of Worcester.
Beata Drzazga, exhibition organiser, flew from Warsaw to attend the event in person. This exhibition exists in only two versions; the other is displayed at the United Nations in New York, and this is only the second time it has been shown in the UK.
Samantha Lewkowicz, Holocaust Education Officer at the Union of Jewish Students, gave a moving speech in which she highlighted the challenges still facing those trying to preserve the memory of those who died in the Holocaust.
She said: “Unfortunately, universities have been far more reluctant to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day in recent years. However, as antisemitism continues to grow in the UK and specifically on university campuses, it makes it even more important that we are sharing Holocaust education with university communities.
Samantha added: “We cannot allow the atrocities of the Holocaust to be forgotten, nor repeated.”
Professor David Green CBE DL, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Worcester, also gave an address.
Opening his speech, he shared a photograph he had taken of a moving memorial plaque, listing the names of 87 children from the 3rd arrondissement in Paris who were taken to Auschwitz and murdered before they’d even had the chance to go to school.
The oldest child named on the memorial was 6, and the youngest was just 2 months old.
He also warned of the rise of racism and antisemitism in modern society: “Sadly, despite much progress in the decades after World War 2, the understanding of the need for racial equality, for understanding between religious faiths, for the enactment and observation of just laws, are all under threat.”
Professor Green referenced the attack at a Manchester synagogue and the massacre at Bondi Beach last year. He said: “Tragically, they took place in a context where antisemitism is growing. There’s much more antisemitism, many more incidents and attacks, and if we don’t stand up, there will be much worse to come on a far greater scale.”
The University of Worcester has long promoted human rights and inclusion and in November 2018, awarded an Honorary Degree to Holocaust survivor, campaigner, and educator, Mindu Hornick MBE.
Her inspiring, consistent work for democracy and human rights is now also carried forward by the University’s teaching graduates in schools across the country.
In his speech, Professor Green also urged those listening to play their part in fighting racism and antisemitism. He said: “The events show why all of us here, and many of our friends, need to put into action the advice of the late great Arthur Ashe, the first black tennis player to win Wimbledon, who, when asked by students how to help in the struggle for racial equality, replied: ‘Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
The exhibition will be at The Hive library until 28 February, when it will move to Redditch Library.
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email [email protected]
Left to right:
- Ronke Akintan, President, Worcester Students’ Union
- Professor David Green, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Worcester
- Samantha Lewkowicz, Holocaust Education Officer, Union of Jewish Students
- Olayemi Ogunleye, Vice President (Student Activities), Worcester Students’ Union