Holocaust Survivors Share Powerful Testimony with Local Students

St Albans Cathedral welcomed 379 students from seven local schools this week for a special two‑day programme marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2026. This year's theme, "Bridging Generations” invited communities to connect deeply with the past and carry its lessons forward.

On Thursday 29 January, and Friday 30 January, the Cathedral hosted a series of educational sessions designed to help pupils learn about the Holocaust and more recent genocides. Students from Years 6 to 11 took part in workshops exploring pre‑Nazi era Jewish life, Holocaust Memorial Day, and acts of spiritual and cultural resistance. 

A highlight of the event was the presence of Holocaust survivors Susie Barnett BEM and Steven Frank BEM, whose powerful testimony left a lasting impression on those attending. “The students were respectfully engaged throughout, in what is a very challenging subject,” said Steve Clarke, Education Officer at the Cathedral. “Each workshop was delivered appropriately, whilst the opportunity to hear eye‑witness accounts from Holocaust and genocide survivors really brought home the reality of the subject.”

One Year 6 teacher echoed this praise: “It was such an honour to meet the speakers and the children really felt like they had learned a lot. It’s not an easy subject by any means, but the balance of content was just right. Please extend my thanks to everyone involved — and especially to Susie, who really made the event.”

The events were held in association with the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Holocaust Educational Trust, and the Wiener Library, three of the UK’s leading organisations in Holocaust and genocide education and commemoration.