By Community Correspondent Neil Shingadia

Jetting off to Poland in the early hours of the morning, visiting the site of the worst genocide the world has ever seen and returning almost in time for dinner, is not something you would do every day. Yet last month, this was the case for me, along with 200 other privileged A-Level students across West London, as part of a government funded initiative.

Two pupils from every West London School were sent packing on a day-trip to the most notorious Nazi death camp in Poland, as part of the 'Lesson From Auschwitz Project', run by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET). However, this was no ordinary school-trip, as no textbooks or teaching could have prepared us for what was unquestionably an emotionally draining experience.

The one-day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau is designed to encourage students to increase their understanding of the Holocaust and to think about the 1.5m people put to death in the camp. Many of you may already be familiar of the atrocities that occurred at Auschwitz, after being given insight through the countless TV documentaries, films, books and articles about the most notorious death camp. However, only by visiting Auschwitz can people really understand the enormity of what happened there. Auschwitz has become a global symbol for genocide - the instruments of torture and extermination in part remain still today, and the personal possessions of the victims are left to be showcased, with items ranging from the shoes of children to the hair of shaved victims.

Bhavita Gohel, 17, who attends Cranford Community College, looked shaken as she departed from the concentration camp, having only moments before stood in the room occupying the gas chambers. She said; "My perception of life has changed. We should never take life for granted. It puts into perspective all the petty concerns which often preoccupy us in our current lifestyle. When you see what happened here, you understand the nature of evil."

Despite the limitations of time on the day-trip, it nevertheless seemed more than enough to capture insight and increase understanding of the Holocaust. The majority of the trip was devoted to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum – which covers a tour of the two main concentration camps in Auschwitz. However, there was also time to visit the Oswiecim Synagogue – a town which once used to house one of the largest Jewish communities in Poland, but today there remains not one native Jew.

The trip concluded with a moving tribute conducted amidst the ruins of the crematoria. As candles flickered, students gathered in silence, reflecting on the sheer magnitude of the lives lost. The trip ended with the touching words of Rabbi Barri Marcus, who emphasised, “The survivors of the Holocaust are becoming fewer and frailer. That’s why trips of this nature are important because you are the next generation. The issue of genocide should not be relegated to one day but thought about all the time. Remember the victims as individuals and not statistics”

Understandably, the plane journey back was one of silent shock – where words were hard to come by. As the official Holocaust Memorial Day draws nearer, the ‘Lessons From Auschwitz Project’ teaches a valuable message; The way forward is to educate. We are the next generation, which is why our presence is so important. We may not be able to change the past but we can change the present and the future…

˚

The Holocaust Memorial Day is a national event held on 27th January.

If you would like more information on the project, then visit: www.het.org.uk