Holocaust Memorial Day event with Dr Zoë Waxman

On 27th January, New College hosted a memorial event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and remember all victims of genocide across the world. 

Dr Zoë Waxman, Lecturer in Modern Jewish History, gave a talk and people with personal connections to the Holocaust had the opportunity to speak. 

Professor Barbara Rossi, our Equality and Diversity Fellow, said: 

'I am so thankful to have been part of this commemoration today. Zoë Waxman gave us the most subtle and sensitive speech, she managed to make us all feel very close to each other, connected. We were reminded of how important it is to remember that little decisions that we make every day can make a huge difference. We also had the immense privilege to have the testimony of one of our students who talked about the story of his family who suffered greatly in the Holocaust. This was a remarkably intimate and moving tribute to his family’s sacrifice. When he described the moment the family were separated, I thought “How would I have felt leaving my son behind like that?” The truth is that this is beyond my imagination and at this moment I felt proud to be part of a College committed to ensuring we have everything we need to continue to tell these stories into the future.' 

Mufaro Mutsatsa, the JCR Faith and Ethnic Minorities Rep, said: 

'Today, we had an opportunity to come together as a college community and mourn the countless victims of the Holocaust, to remember the heroes of the time, and to reflect on the lasting effect that the genocide has had on our world. It is so important that we continue to memorialise the Holocaust and its horrors, which left deep scars that are still yet to heal. 

It is only through remembrance that we can hope to never repeat the tragedies of the past. As Elie Wiesel once said: “For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”

A special thank you to everyone who joined us tonight to observe Holocaust Memorial Day.'