Humanising the history

On becoming involved in the BBC documentary My Family, The Holocaust, and Me, I expected to be challenged both professionally and personally. I wasn't disappointed: the experience certainly provided an immersive external context for my work supporting people experiencing the impact of trauma, and it made me cry.

The unexpected came in the shape of an educational project borne from the programme, The Holocaust, Their Family, Me and Us, currently running in over 240 schools in the UK. It has been drawn from the award-winning series where Robert Rinder MBE helped his mother, me and three other British Jews trace their families' experiences during the Holocaust, and the legacy of the events upon them families in the years since [see www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/monster-was-and-still-hate]. The documentary features stories from across Europe, tales of rescue and resistance, and of relatives murdered in the Holocaust.

Conceived by Nicola Wetherell at The Royal Wooton Basset Academy as an immersive, enrichment project, The Holocaust, Their Family, Me, and Us supports and guides students to explore one of the stories from the documentary: hearing directly from the families featured and using the programmes, its experts and filmmaking team, archive material and more, to understand the story. 

Each narrative provides a learning hook, making humanising the history possible. Students begin the project by following either Noemie Lopian, Robert and his mother Angela Cohen, or sisters Louisa and Natalie Clein's or my journey. In doing so they deepen their knowledge of the Holocaust and its history, develop critical thinking skills, and are then invited to reflect upon the meaning of these events for them as individuals and their relevance today.

In an era where survivor visits are increasingly difficult for schools to arrange and where we approach a point in time where Holocaust survivors will all have passed away, this project demonstrates an approach for students to follow a Holocaust story closely and develop a deep understanding of the history, making use of archive material, documentary evidence and the reflections of second- and third- generation descendants of Holocaust victims and survivors: it humanises the history.

Additionally, the project gives young people an opportunity to reflect on the legacies of the Holocaust and their significance in the modern world, and to develop a sense of themselves as global citizens in the context of this history.

Knowing what happened in the Holocaust, learning about it, means nothing if we are complacent. We know the warning signs. We know where appeasement, being a bystander or 'them and us' thinking leads – this project is research-informed, in pedagogical approach and content, aligned to IHRA guidance and best practice and engages all participants, schools and communities to reflect upon and apply their deep learning.

Slowly but surely, I have become enveloped by this incredible project. When people ask me what I do my response now always includes 'I'm also involved in a Holocaust education project called...'. The initiative has become part of my meaning and purpose and I'm very proud to be an ambassador for it. Over the last two years Rob Rinder and I have spoken at Holocaust Memorial Day events at Exeter and Durham Cathedrals and used the opportunities to raise awareness of the project. This year in Durham we were joined by local students involved in the project.

My family and I feel very honoured and grateful for all the work the students and teachers have undertaken to tell our story. Meeting and holding Q&A sessions with students can be a humbling experience: at recent events in early 2024, at the Imperial War Museum and The Royal Wooten Bassett Academy, Rob, Lousia Clein, and I attended workshops with students from a range wide of backgrounds. 

Even during the most difficult of times given the heartbreaking situation in the Middle East, the sensitivity, insightfulness, and compassion of the diverse students attending offer great hope for the future. The educational and emotional impact of the project cannot be underestimated. The Holocaust, Their Family, Me, and Us project keeps such important memories and lessons from the past alive and will hopefully help challenge hate and intolerance in all their forms both now and in the future.