27/01/2026
Today, we observe Holocaust Memorial Day, marking the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. A time to remember the six million Jews murdered, alongside millions of others persecuted by the N***s, and to honour the survivors of that dark time.
Just a short drive from Lincoln in Newark-on-Trent, stands the National Holocaust Museum. Known to many locals simply as Beth Shalom, “House of Peace”.
Founded in 1995 by the Smith family, the Centre was the first permanent Holocaust memorial and education site in Britain. Its location near Newark is no coincidence. The tranquil setting on Acre Edge Road, surrounded by the rolling fields of Nottinghamshire, offers a stark contrast to the horrors it commemorates.
The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the N**i regime and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. It also targeted Roma people, disabled individuals, LGBTQ+ communities, political dissidents, and others deemed “undesirable.” The genocide unfolded in stages, through discriminatory laws, ghettos, forced labour, and ultimately, extermination camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Sobibor.
The Holocaust reminds us that genocide is not born overnight, it is cultivated through division, fear, and the dehumanization of others. It teaches us that silence is complicity, and that the defence of human dignity must be active, not passive.
The Centre hosts survivor talks, teacher training, school visits, and outreach programmes. Its mission is clear: to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten, and that future generations understand the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and indifference.
In an age of misinformation and polarisation, the lessons of the Holocaust are more urgent than ever. The National Holocaust Certre stands as a beacon of truth in a time when truth itself is under threat. It invites us not only to remember, but to recognise the signs, to challenge hate, and to stand up for those who are targeted, whether in our communities or across the globe.
On a personal note, the owner of AMS visited the museum housed with Auschwitz-Birkenau a few years ago. Moving is an understatement. I would urge everyone to make the effort to go and see it for themselves.
