By Ben Kentish

This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is the most important ever.

The same was true last year, and the year before. Every year that passes, in fact, the commemoration becomes ever more vital.

That might seem a strange thing to say given that we are approaching the 100-year anniversary of the start of Hitler’s rise to power.

As terrible as it was, some people suggest, it’s ancient history now. Must we keep talking about it as much we used to?

The answer, resoundingly, is yes we must. Because every year that passes, the risk of forgetting grows, and therefore so does the importance of remembering.

Over time, collective memory fades and events slip into the haze of history. Soon, the haunting testimonies of those who survived the camps, the ghettos and the pogroms will be available only through books, recordings and second-hand accounts.

Anybody who has sat and listened to a Holocaust survivor tell their story will know that their words stay with you – hearing what they endured leaves you with both a grim recognition of the evil that humans are capable of and a determination to play whatever small part........

© LBC