This week at the House of Commons I signed the Book of Commitment for the Holocaust Educational Trust.

The Holocaust Educational Trust does fantastic work ensuring that testimony from holocaust survivors is taught in schools and funding visits to Auschwitz Birkenau for pupils from schools all over the country.  Some years ago I accompanied children from Wolverhampton schools on such a visit and it is an experience I will never forget.

Holocaust Memorial Day falls on the anniversary of the day Auschwitz Birkenau was liberated in 1945, exposing the full horror and scale of the Nazi attempt to eradicate the Jewish population of Europe.

As time goes on and survivors pass away the work of teaching about the holocaust and reflecting on the timeless lessons this should hold for humanity becomes ever more important.

As well as signing the Book of Commitment I was pleased today to attend a memorial service organised by Interfaith Wolverhampton.  There were moving readings from the Bishop of Wolverhampton and faith leaders from many different religious communities. 

The question posed this year is “How can life go on?”  Life can and does go on, even after the most unspeakable horrors, but that life should be informed by what happened and the vital importance of remembering the common humanity that holds us together.  Whatever faith we hold, whatever nationality, we are all human beings, capable of love and being loved, all with our human story, all with our family and community bonds.  Remembering the importance of each person, each individual, should be the enduring lesson from the greatest attempt in history to wipe out humanity.