Post it Note from Ruth-Anne Lenga Programme Director:
National Competition: #LeonGreenman.
The Centre has launched a national student competition: Fighting Racism: Standing up against hate: #Leon 110 which is open to our Beacon Schools alumni, partners and friends to mark what would have been Auschwitz survivor Leon Greenman’s 110th birthday. This link to send us your students’ entrees https://holocausteducation.org.uk/courses-events/apply-ioe-beacon-school/fighting-racism-standing-hate-leon110/.
The awardees will be announced on 27th January 2021. A mini podcast about the competition with a recording of Leon being interviewed by the BBC in 1946 can be found here.
Becky’s Blog
Dr Rebecca Hale –a lead researcher at our centre has recently returned from maternity leave. In between night feeds she wrote a personal blog which you can find here where she reflects on the impact of Leon’s story has had on her and her time working at the Centre. Quite by chance, she discovered that she now lives just a few roads away from where Leon lived in Ilford London for most of his post war life. She describes her visit to her local park where a memorial to Leon stands.
Our friends at Holocaust Memorial Day Trust would like me to remind you that the ceremony in 2021 will be like no other. To keep everyone safe, for the first time in the history of HMD, there will be a fully virtual ceremony. It will be streamed online from 7 – 8pm on Wednesday 27 January 2021. HMD Trust, the charity that organises the ceremony, is working hard behind the scenes to create a special Ceremony for everyone. In the meantime, please sign up on this portal to receive instructions and reminders on how to watch the Ceremony in January.
New UCL Resources to be launched on HMD
In addition to a suite of case studies to support HMD tutor time discussion of the ‘Be the light in the darkness theme, available here https://holocausteducation.org.uk/supporting-schools-mark-holocaust-memorial-day-2021/, to mark HMD UCL will be bringing you exciting new resources to down load including ready to go suite of lessons associated with the novel After the War by Tom Palmer. It is a deeply moving and beautifully told novel of friendship and belonging and is inspired by the testimonies of survivors of the Holocaust who, after the war, began the painful journey to try to recover in the beautiful setting of the Lake district in England. The suite of lesson is for RA, Citizenship and History teachers. Do look out for the launch in January.
Your dedication to the teaching profession is second-to-none.
Despite the massive problems’ schools have had to face this year, teachers and senior leaders have remained steadfast in the face of all sorts of uncertainty often without the recognition they have deserved. The schools, senior leaders and teachers UCL have worked are second-to-none in their dedication to the teaching profession. They have gone the extra mile to ensure their students receive a quality teaching about the Holocaust while in lockdown or at school. We have nothing but admiration for you.
This forthcoming festive break is important for your own recovery, but I fear that many of you will not be able to take the days off that you need and are entitled to. The complex and ever-changing measures, that relate to the Covid pandemic are relentless and will clearly affect you throughout the days and weeks ahead. Your wellbeing is of critical importance so do try to look after yourselves, notwithstanding.
Wishing our Holocaust survivors and friends a Happy Chanukah. Hopefully, 2021 will be a better year for all of us.
Best wishes to all of you, our friends and colleagues for a good and healthy festive break from all of us at the Centre.
Ruth-Anne Lenga
Programme Director
UCL Centre for Holocaust Education,
