By Michael Newman OBE – Chief Executive, AJR
In the same week as the online Israeli plenary of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), Goldsmiths, University of London was shamed in a report that documented examples of how Jewish staff and students had experienced antisemitism. One remedy, long suggested, is for the University to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. After all, it is only possible to address incidences of Jew-hatred by clearly identifying the problem.
The Working Definition is now in its tenth year and has helped put the IHRA and its work on the map. The UK was the first country to adopt the Definition with universities, trade unions, football clubs and other civil society organisations espousing its value. Inimical to the Definition are its examples illustrating how antisemitism manifests, including, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis”, something we have witnessed with growing alarm since 7 October. But, adopting the Definition is meaningless without simultaneously citing and acting upon it when investigating incidents, not least to send a message that expressions of anti-Jewish racism will never be tolerated. It is also critical to keep pushing and spreading awareness of this expert resource in order to continuously combat antisemitism.
The strapline for the Israeli IHRA Presidency is Crossroads of Generations which speaks to the evolving demography of Holocaust survivors and refugees, something we are acutely aware of at the Association of Jewish Refugees. The eye-witnesses to the worst crime in human history will not be with us forever and we also need to prepare for a time when we cannot call upon them in person to share their experiences and to testify to the evils of fascism and antisemitism. It is also noteworthy that the survivors are leaving us at the same time as the number and types of incidents of antisemitism and Holocaust distortion are growing.
Survivor testimonies are one way in which these warnings from history can be perpetually relayed. To mark the end of the UK IHRA Presidency earlier this year, the AJR was honoured to partner with our government to launch Holocaust Testimony UK, a portal through which a visitor can access approaching three thousand accounts given by Holocaust survivors and refugees who settled in this country.
Converse to the rise in antisemitism and distortion are the numerous projects and initiatives in the UK that commemorate the Holocaust. We are also fortunate to have world-leading exponents that deliver teaching and learning about the Holocaust enabling learners – of all ages – to connect to this vital history. Reflecting the AJR’s role as a leading national benefactor in this area, in November will be bringing together Holocaust educators for a two-day conference that will address the fundamental questions facing the sector, including the extent to which teaching and learning about the Holocaust can be relied upon to inoculate against antisemitism.
The third member of the IHRA Troika is Argentina, which will assume the Presidency next March when I will also take over as Chair of the IHRA Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial. The Committee is the IHRA’s forum to hear from trusted experts on the evolving nature of these phenomena and to recommend solutions to IHRA member state governments. Our work is intensifying. We are facing simultaneous challenges from across the political spectrum, online and, more recently, in the form of physical protests.
And yet, our work has never been more crucial. It was an honour to contribute to the wording of the IHRA statement in support of Holocaust remembrance institutions, organizations, and professionals. But, as one expert framed it during last week’s meetings, Holocaust distortion is the marker for an attack on liberal democracy. Equally, how the Holocaust is remembered and seared into public consciousness is an indicator of a civil society.
