28 years ago when the Holocaust Educational Trust was founded, we may have hoped but would never have believed that Holocaust education and commemoration would have become so firmly embedded in this country — this memorial, which will be right in the heart of our democracy, sends a clear message about the determination of Britain to ensure the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come. With education comes remembrance – this special place will give people somewhere to remember and reflect. When we no longer have survivors among us, this memorial will help to ensure that their experiences are never forgotten.
UK Jewish Leader on ‘Striking’ New Holocaust Monument: ‘Permanent Statement of Our Values as a Nation’
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by Algemeiner Staff
The Victoria Tower Gardens, where the new Holocaust monument will be erected. Photo: Wikipedia.
The new Holocaust memorial announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday will stand as a “permanent statement of our values as a nation,” said the head of the umbrella organization the UK Board of Jewish Deputies.
“Educating generations to come the best hope of instilling the determination never to tolerate hate speech, demonization and dehumanization directed against any other human being,” said Jonathan Arkush, in a statement tweeted by the Board of Deputies. “This is an imperative in our divided world and we must never compromise it.”
Cameron announced the “striking” new national Shoah monument during remarks to the House of Commons for the UN-designated Holocaust Remembrance Day. He said it would be built at Victoria Tower Gardens, a public park area on the north bank of the Thames, just near Westminster Palace.
“I know the whole House will want to join me in marking Holocaust Memorial Day,” said Cameron. “It is right our whole country should stand together to remember the darkest hour of humanity. Last year, on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I said we would build a striking national memorial in London to show the importance Britain places on preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Today I can tell the House, this memorial will be built in Victoria Tower Gardens.”
Artists can compete in an international competition to design the monument, which is scheduled to be completed by 2017, according to The Jewish Chronicle.
Karen Pollack, chief executive of the Holocaust Education Trust, also released a statement on Cameron’s announcement:
