Resources

This resource provides a suggested film to screen (The Book Thief) with questions to be discussed as part of an activity to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

This resource is produced by the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ). It is designed for use by Christians in a worship setting on or around Holocaust Memorial Day. It includes commentaries, readings, prayers, poems and testimonies.

Renee Bornstein survived the Holocaust by hiding in barns, farms and convents. Marianne Cohn, a resistance worker, was murdered by the Gestapo for trying to help Renee and other children escape.

Béla Guttmann was a successful Jewish football player who represented Hungary at the Olympics in 1924. He survived the Holocaust by hiding and managed to escape a forced labour camp. After the war he became a famous football coach and manager, leading the Portuguese club Benfica to two successive European Cup wins.

This presentation introduces what is marked on Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) and can be used at your activity.

There is a wealth of material available covering the many different aspects of the Holocaust, genocide and discrimination. Listed in our bibliography are a few of the books – including fact, fiction, drama and poetry – that we think are helpful for those interested in finding out more about the issues raised by Holocaust Memorial Day.

Louisa Gould hid a Russian prisoner of war in her home on the island of Jersey. She was arrested and sent to a concentration camp where she ultimately paid with her life.

During the Genocide in Rwanda, Chantal witnessed the worst of human nature as people turned against each other. She also saw the best of humanity in the neighbours who hid her and helped her survive, despite the risk to themselves and their families.

Eric played for Kigali’s top football team. During the Genocide in Rwanda his fellow players protected him from the killing. Today Eric runs an organisation which uses football to promote tolerance, unity and reconciliation among Rwandan youth.

John Hajdu is a survivor of the Holocaust in Hungary and lived under the subsequent socialist regime in Budapest. Having lived in the UK since 1957, John’s experiences of life after the Holocaust and as a refugee tell of the turmoil of post-World War Two Europe.