The Holocaust Centre

Remembering Auschwitz Survivor Roman Halter

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:48:39 +0000

Roman Halter

The funeral of Auschwitz survivor Roman Halter, who died earlier this week aged 85, was held yesterday in North London.

Dr James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust and Chairman of The Holocaust Centre, accompanied by Helen Whitney, CEO of The Holocaust Centre, were among those who attended.

“Roman Halter was not only a remarkable intellect and a great supporter of The Holocaust Centre and the Aegis Trust; he was also a very dear personal and family friend,” James said. “A true gentleman, his calm demeanor belied the unimaginable atrocities that he experienced and witnessed. We will all miss his inspirational presence and his quiet authority.”

Born in Chodecz, Poland, Roman was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust and one of only four members of the Jewish community from Chodecz to live to the end of the war. Sent to the Lodz ghetto, he was later deported to Auschwitz and then Stutthof, before becoming a slave labourer in Dresden. An architect and a gifted artist, some of his works are displayed at both the Imperial War Museum and at The Holocaust Centre, for which he designed several of the stained-glass windows in the Centre’s Memorial Hall.

Roman is survived by wife Susie and three children.

Anti-Hitler resistance heroes launch on Twitter

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:01:32 +0000

The White Rose student movement, which emerged in Munich in the summer of 1942, produced and circulated six leaflets attacking Hitler’s regime and calling for civil disobedience from the German people. In spring 1943 the movement was betrayed, six of its leading figures were executed and the rest were jailed, yet their heroism has inspired generations of young people and been celebrated ever since. But what if the movement’s members could have shared their daily lives with us via the medium of Twitter?

To promote awareness of the White Rose Ball (www.whiteroseball.org), a benefit for the UK Holocaust Centre at which Liza Minnelli will be performing on 25 September at the Riverside Plaza in London, intended to celebrate the courage of all those who – like the White Rose movement – choose to define their lives with acts of humanity, an extraordinary new Twitter drama is launching tomorrow and will unfold over a several days with six or more tweets a day via @WhiteRoseBall. Each day can be reviewed in the blog http://thewhiterosemanifesto.blogspot.com/.

“Featuring the voices of brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl, along with Willi Graf – three of the six who were executed – the drama is based in the historical record as far as possible, drawing on diaries, letters, interrogation records and other documentation relating to the movement. Where dramatic licence has been taken, the drama sticks as closely as possible to what we know of the characters of these three individuals,” says Helen Whitney, Chief Executive of The Holocaust Centre.

Blending history and social media, this unique social media experiment in part follows the model of the Ulysses project, where parts of the James Joyce epic were retold on twitter.
Scriptwriter Roxanne Harvey generously gave up her free time to create the script, which also had extensive input from Denise Heap at the Center for White Rose Studies in Los Angeles, which provided consultation on the drama’s historical veracity.

First Summer Recital

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 12:16:46 +0000

First Summer Recital for The Holocaust Centre Honours Auschwitz Survivor and Renowned Cellist

The Holocaust Centre’s first Summer Recital was held at the Foundling Museum on 4^th May, in honour of Anita Lasker-Wallfisch. Anita, who survived Auschwitz by playing the Cello in the camp orchestra, went on to become a founder member of the English Chamber Orchestra.

Hosted by Henry Grunwald, QC – former President of the Board of Deputies, now a trustee of The Holocaust Centre – the evening’s programme was arranged and performed by Anita’s son Raphael Wallfisch, himself an internationally renowned cellist, accompanied by pianist Linn Rothstein. The two have recorded many classical works together.

“When we set out to create The Holocaust Centre it was to survivors such as Anita that we turned for inspiration and insight,” says Centre Chairman Dr James Smith. “In the years since, Anita has been an unwavering supporter and friend of the best kind; never slow to speak her mind; always practical; always full of wisdom and good advice.”

The Holocaust Centre is the only centre dedicated to Holocaust remembrance and education in the UK. Opened in 1995, it welcomes over 20,000 children to its educational programmes and exhibitions every year. The centre offers each school group the opportunity to meet a Holocaust survivor and hear his or her story. Entry costs are subsidized to ensure all schools can afford to visit. Each child’s visit costs the centre four times the admission fee.

“Though highly praised by Holocaust survivors, teachers, students and public figures alike, The Holocaust Centre is a charity that runs on an annual deficit,” says Centre Director Helen Whitney. “It performs a vital role in helping to counter the seeds of prejudice and division in Britain today, but it needs an additional £400,000 per annum. By taking part in events like tonight’s recital, people can help enormously – which is why we hope to build on this success with the White Rose Ball at the Kia Oval on 25 September.”

More information about the White Rose Charity Ball – which was first reported in the Jewish Chronicle last week – can be found at www.whiteroseball.org.

25th September White Rose Charity Ball

admin — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:51:48 +0000

The Holocaust Centre will be hosting a fundraising event at The Park Plaza, Riverbank in London on September 25th 2011. The White Rose Ball will include a Champagne reception, sumptuous meal designed by celebrity chefs, auction and raffle. Liza Minnelli is scheduled to perform live. For further details see http://www.whiteroseball.org

‘The man who broke into Auschwitz’ launches book at The Holocaust Centre

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:00:23 +0000

Wartime hero Denis Avey, who recounts how as a prisoner of war he twice broke into Auschwitz III and also helped to save the life of a Jewish inmate, last week launched his memoirs at The Holocaust Centre.

Marking Holocaust Memorial Day, survivor launches project to tell a thousand ‘Untold Stories’

admin — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:51:34 +0000

25 Jan 2011 – Today at the UK Holocaust Centre (home of the Aegis Trust), two days ahead of the UK’s annual Holocaust Memorial Day, Holocaust survivor Simon Winston launched a project inspired by the Day’s 2011 theme – ‘Untold Stories’ – to document the stories behind The Holocaust Centre’s memorial roses.

“Since 1995, over a thousand white roses have been planted in the Centre’s memorial gardens by visitors who lost loved ones during the Holocaust, each accompanied by a plaque bearing a few words in dedication,” says Dr James Smith, Chairman of The Holocaust Centre and Chief Executive, Aegis Trust. “Though an integral part of the Centre’s life, the human stories behind these dedications have until now remained largely untold.”

“The Holocaust Centre plans to document as many of these stories as possible,” says Centre Director Helen Whitney. “We will do this both on our website and in a new publication, ‘Behind the Rose,’ to be released in the autumn.”

Simon launched the project by becoming the first person who has dedicated a rose in the garden to present the story behind it for inclusion in the book. “I dedicated my rose to my mother and father, who saved my life,” he said. “They nursed and protected me through my darkest hours.”

Saved not least due to the remarkable foresight of his father, who converted his assets to the gold that secured the family’s escape and protection, Simon’s own account of survival as a child in hiding was recorded at The Holocaust Centre for the Holocaust Memorial Day website this year as part of a filming project conducted in association with the Aegis Trust (www.hmd.org.uk/untoldstories).

A memorial candle-lighting during the event was led by Centre co-founder Marina Smith. Candles were lit by Simon Winston; Manfred Dessau, a refugee from Nazi Germany; Rabbi Tanya Sakhnovich (Nottingham Progressive Synagogue); Revd Chris Levy (the local Anglican vicar); and by Daniel Cohen and Jack Hutchinson, two students from Bury Grammar School in Lancashire, visiting The Holocaust Centre today.

They and their fellow students took part in the project launch, laying white roses on the Children’s Memorial after hearing from Simon. Standing in the heart of the rose garden, it commemorates the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis as part of the so-called ‘Final Solution’.

24 hour telephone number

Holocaust Centre — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:45:10 +0000

24 Hour telephone number 07525 909879

Museum Accreditation celebrated at 15th year Anniversary

Holocaust Centre — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:17:29 +0000

We are very pleased to announce that The Holocaust Centre has received full Museum Accreditation status by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).

The Holocaust Centre will this Sunday (10th October) be celebrating the achievement of Accreditation as an official Museum by the Museums, Libraries and Acrchives Council (MLA) as survivors of the Holocaust gather to mark its 15th year anniversary.

“Accreditation status confirms that the Holocaust Centre is a responsible custodian of artefacts that will help to ensure young people can learn about and learn from the horrific experiences of the Holocaust,” says Centre Director Helen Whitney. “This is exciting and rewarding news for the Centre and sets the scene for continued development in the accessibility of our collections and our provision of engaging, challenging, high quality education for young people about the Holocaust and its lessons for today.”

Dr James Smith, CEO and Chairman commented whilst congratulating the staff:

“As an accredited museum, we now have a huge responsibility to ensure the services we offer our visitors and users are met to a standard laid down by a scheme that is regarded as one of the most innovative and effective developments in the museum sector. It has led the way in raising museum standards in the UK, and has been used as a model and source of inspiration for museums overseas. This is an exciting and new phase for the Centre.”

Founders receive triple award

Holocaust Centre — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:20:36 +0000

Nottingham Trent University has made a rare triple award for a remarkable family, giving honorary doctorates to James, Stephen and their mother Marina Smith who in 1995 founded the UK’s first Holocaust memorial and education centre.

Sir Michael Parkinson, Dr James Smith, Dr Marina Smith and Vice Chancellor Professor Neil Gorman

Since opening, The Holocaust Centre has received hundreds of thousands of visitors, most of them schoolchildren visiting as part of their education about the Holocaust. Every visiting group is met by a survivor of the Holocaust; many of them based in the Midlands, several in Nottingham or the surrounding area. Home to the Aegis Trust for genocide prevention – which was also founded by the Smiths, to help prevent such crimes against humanity happening anywhere to anyone – The Holocaust Centre has also given international inspiration, providing a model for the Cape Town Holocaust Centre in South Africa, the House of Memory in Lithuania, and the Genocide Memorial in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. Contracted by Kigali City Council, the Aegis Trust runs the memorial centre and was responsible for its creation in 2004.

Strong links with Nottingham Trent University

Aegis also has strong links with Nottingham and indeed with Nottingham Trent University through its youth arm, Aegis Students. Nottingham Trent University is home to a thriving Aegis Society, former members of which recently opened ‘The Charity Shop’ on Goosegate in Nottingham to support Aegis’ work.

Back at The Holocaust Centre, in 2008 the Smiths opened a ground-breaking new permanent exhibition about the experience of children during the Holocaust. Winning ‘Best Exhibition’ at the 2009 Nottinghamshire Heritage Awards, it is unusual as a Holocaust exhibition designed to be accessible to children at primary school age. Much of its content focuses on the ‘Kindertransport’ – the 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi Germany and Nazi-occupied territories allowed into the UK as refugees without their parents in 1938-39. Primary schools now visit the exhibition on a daily basis.

“We’re thrilled to be sharing this award, which celebrates not only the work of The Holocaust Centre and Aegis Trust but also the strong ties we have with Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and the whole local community,” says Dr James Smith, Chairman of The Holocaust Centre and Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust. “It recognises, too, that the creation of The Holocaust Centre was a family effort. We could not have done this without each other, without the generosity of our supporters, nor without the family of survivors who give of themselves and their experiences to help educate a new generation about the dangers of prejudice and ideas that can divide a society.”

The Kindertransport: a connection shared with Attenborough and Dench

Stephen, now Executive Director of the Shoah Foundation in Los Angeles, was unable to attend the ceremony but James and Marina, who worked as The Holocaust Centre’s Education Director for its first ten years, joined others at Nottingham Trent University receiving honorary degrees last week. They included Dame Judi Dench – who in 2000 narrated ‘Into the Arms of Strangers’, a documentary about the Kindertransport – and Sir David Attenborough, whose parents actually took in two Jewish girls rescued from the Nazis as part of the initiative. “They were just like our sisters,” Sir David recalled in The Times in 2008. Commenting in the piece his brother Richard stated, “It gave me an understanding of what it was to be Jewish, and taught me to loathe prejudice and persecution … I would never have been interested in making both Gandhi and Cry Freedom without that experience.”

Today, thanks to the Smiths, Notts residents also have the opportunity to meet survivors of the Holocaust, learn about their experiences, and reflect on the lessons this history holds for the future.

2012 Opening times

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:34:09 +0000

For the 2012 opening times and Survivor speaker list, please click here

The Holocaust Centre promotes an understanding of the roots of discrimination and prejudice, and the development of ethical values, leading to a greater understanding within society. The Centre uses the history of genocide as a model of how society can break down, and emphasises how current and future generations must carefully examine and learn from these tragedies. The Centre promotes respect for human rights, equal opportunities and good citizenship, which has greater resonance than ever in our culturally diverse society.

The Holocaust Centre provides a range of facilities for people of all backgrounds to explore the history and implications of the Holocaust. These include the Holocaust exhibition, The Journey, memorial gardens, bookshop and coffeeshop. There are also seminar and research facilities for students, teachers, scholars, professionals and many others.