HMD 2024: Fragility of Freedom

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Image: barbed wire fences at Auschwitz-Birkenau © Chris Jackson / Getty


That is when the trouble started for the Jews. Our freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Jewish decrees.

– Anne Frank, diary entry, Saturday 20 June, 1942 – reflecting back on May 1940 when the Germans arrived in the Netherlands

Finchley Reform Synagogue
Holocaust Education

Our Mission Statement

To inform and educate students and teachers from every background about the Holocaust, its historical context and the important lessons to be learned for today.



To discuss the role of individuals in combating prejudice and hatred.

What We Do

We offer free half day (2½ hour) Holocaust education sessions in our synagogue for year 9 pupils of local London Borough of Barnet schools and teacher training students from Middlesex University at the end of January/early February each year, around the time of Holocaust Memorial Day.


The sessions comprise a short introduction to the Holocaust from a Holocaust Education Trust trained educator, a speaker who is either a Holocaust survivor, Refugee from Nazism or a child/grandchild who tells the story of their parent/grandparent and an interactive workshop that gives further insight into an aspect of the Holocaust, encouraging the students to think about the roles of bystanders, both active and passive. There is also a candle lighting ceremony at the end of each session, allowing time for reflection.

The Legacy of Covid-19

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions our 2021 and 2022 Holocaust education was carried out solely online. All resources are still available and can be viewed/downloaded by following the HMD 2021 and HMD 2022 links.

We are very proud that part of this effort was recognised by the Sandford St. Martin Trust in their specially created Corona Community Category for the original and innovative way the project responded to the constraints of the pandemic. The videos produced can be viewed on the Chanukah Lights page of our website.

A report on the 2020 education sessions can be found on our About Us page
To find out more about our work explore our web site.
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