The University of Westminster hosted an event for students, colleagues and members of the public to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. The event provided an opportunity to remember, respect and learn about the Shoah from Holocaust survivor Uri Winterstein.
On 5 February, Westminster students, colleagues and community members gathered at the University’s Regent Campus to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day with an evening of education and reflection on the values of respect, remembrance and learning from the past.
The event was hosted by Professor Dibyesh Anand, Westminster’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and Employability and Co-chair of the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, in collaboration with Westminster’s Jewish Society (JSoc) and the Union of Jewish Students (UJS).
The event was opened by Professor Peter Bonfield, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, who introduced Uri Winterstein, a survivor of the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia. Attendees heard Uri’s life story and testimony as he spoke about the antisemitism in 1930s, the different ways in which many Jews in Slovakia region perished or survived, his family history of deaths as well as survival, and the importance of speaking out against prejudices. During a discussion with the audience, he spoke of trauma and kindness.
Photo: Uri Winterstein
The event closed with Westminster Jewish chaplain Rabbi Gavin Broder and a University student speaking of the importance of remembering and learning from Holocaust.
About the event Rabbi Gavin Broder said: “No matter how often one hears Holocaust survivors speak, their ‘stories’ may be similar, but never the same; Uri Winterstein’s experience was definitely different. The lesson, however, always needs to be the same – people may differ, but persecution is never alright.”
Professor Dibyesh Anand added: “Our desire to be an inclusive university with students and colleagues who are responsible global citizens necessitates we learn to have challenging conversations. Remembering Holocaust is not only about history. As our key speaker Uri Winterstein highlighted, we need to be vigilant about prejudices taking hold in our societies. Awareness and education about Holocaust, the extermination of more than 6 million Jewish people by Nazi Germany, will go a long way in challenging dehumanisation of Jews through anti-Jew prejudice and hatred. We are humbled to partner with Union of Jewish Students as well as Westminster Jewish Society in marking Holocaust Memorial Day. Our immense gratitude goes to Emma Sherrard, UJS’ Sabbatical Officer with Campaigns & Holocaust Education and to the Holocaust Educational Trust for facilitating the event.”
This event contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about upcoming Equality, Diversity and Inclusion events at the University of Westminster.
