The Holocaust Educational Trust works to ensure that people from all backgrounds are educated about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learnt.

The Holocaust Educational Trust aims to educate thousands of students across the UK about the Holocaust; the murder of approximately six million Jewish men, women and children by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Second World War and:

• Train and support hundreds of teachers every year
• Enable Holocaust survivors to share their personal testimonies
• Motivate future generations to speak out against intolerance
• Inspire individuals to consider their responsibilities to their communities
• Work with Parliament and the media to help spread understanding of the Holocaust

Guilsborough academy welcomed Peter and Moira Hart to deliver their second-generation testimony, as the younger son and daughter-in-law of Kitty Hart-Moxon, OBE.

Kitty Hart-Moxon, OBE (born December 1, 1926) is a Polish-British Holocaust survivor. She was sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 1943 at age 16, where she survived for two years, and was also imprisoned at other camps. Shortly after her liberation, she moved to England with her mother, where she married and dedicated her life to raising awareness of the Holocaust. She has written two autobiographies, entitled I am Alive (1961) and Return to Auschwitz (1981).

Both Peter and Moira began presenting Kitty’s story of survival a few years ago from a second generation perspective. Their chief objective is to ensure that Kitty’s testimony continues to be told, and for the message of “never again” to be explained to future generations. They believe that the direct family connection to Kitty allows her story to be retold with a high degree of authenticity, whilst accepting it can never exactly replicate first-hand eyewitness accounts.

Students were engaged throughout the 50-minute presentation, posing questions to Peter and Moira for 15 minutes at the end. Following the session, some students were asked to provide their own testimonials about the experience:

Peter and Moira Hart spoke to us about when it all started, when Kitty Hart-Moxon was just 13 to when she was in the concentration camp at 16 to present day. Kitty lived in Poland with her family at the outbreak of the War and tried to hide from the Nazis for 4 years until 1943, when she and her mother were found and sent to Auschwitz. We found it interesting when they showed us the videos of her returning to the Camp in 1978 as we heard her speak about her experience personally. Also, we learnt about the jobs and conditions of the prisoners, including Kitty’s job working in 'The Canada’. This was where she had to sort through the belongings and clothing items of people in the gas chambers that were then sent back to citizens in Germany. Kitty and the other workers were told what they needed to find and wear that day by officers, but they also tried to smuggle jewellery and clothes to sell in exchange for explosives from the officers. It was shocking to hear about the conditions of the toilets and the sleeping situations, but this assembly was a very educational experience for all of us.

                                                                                     Autumn, Emily and Eliana – Year 10 Guilsborough Academy Students

We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with The Holocaust Educational Trust, providing this unique and meaningful experience for our students and extend our sincere thanks to all involved, especially Peter and Moira Hart.