Yesterday, I read both a simple and very beautiful poem by Michael Rosen about the Holocaust, and a powerful, compelling article by Hugo Rifkind.
I posted the article on Facebook where it has received no response apart from one friend.
I find it quite strange that there has been so little on my home page about Holocaust Memorial Day, apart from the several Guardian articles. Perhaps we're a bit too used to it, perhaps FB is a place that people prefer to share proud/happy photographs. But there was such a huge outpouring in response to the Charlie Hebdo killings that I find it almost alarming that people aren't marking this day in some way, even with a small comment or thought.
So if you've come across this, you can read the poem here: What is Racism?
And the article here: Holocaust Memorial Day 2015
The most notable point Rifkind makes is that this is specifically part of European culture; and he makes it immediate, tangible, asking us to imagine being there - what would we have done? Would we have done anything differently? This is a responsibility and a memory that is part of us all and absolutely we must not forget it.
Lest We Forget (of what we are capable).