Ivor Perl BEM

The University has been named a winner in the Best of Europe Region Awards by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for our Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration. CASE is a global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement and the awards recognise innovative, creative, and extraordinary work that aims to teach and inspire others.

Sussex was the first university in England and the second in the UK to host a Holocaust Memorial event. It has since earned a special place in our annual calendar, attracting a large and diverse audience of staff, students, alumni, students from local schools, and members of the local community. It is part of the University’s commitment to ensure that the tragic mistakes of the past are never repeated or forgotten, and tackling hatred, discrimination and racism in the world today.

Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration is an example of excellent teamwork from across the University. The event is the result of close collaboration between colleagues from the Centre for German-Jewish Studies and the Weidenfeld Institute of Jewish Studies, and the Events team in the Communications, Engagement and Advancement division, supported by IT and the Attenborough Centre in delivering an impactful event for audiences.  

The day commenced with a lunch hosted by the Vice-Chancellor for supporters of the Centre for German Jewish Studies, followed by the highlight of the event: a discussion with a Holocaust survivor, and the screening of a related film and Q&A with the film director. The main event, which takes place at the ACCA, is always sold out, and livestreamed and recorded for remote audiences.

For this year’s we were honoured to welcome Ivor Perl BEM and his granddaughter Lia Bratt who gave testimony of Ivor’s childhood during the Holocaust. Lia is a speaker for the Holocaust Education charity Generation 2 Generation (G2G), which empowers second and third generation Holocaust survivors and close family friends to present their family histories to a wide range of audiences.

Vickie Sheriff, Executive Director of Communications, Engagement and Advancement said: “Colleagues from across the University, together with the Sussex Events team, did a fantastic job commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day, making it memorable for all those that attended and who have since seen the recording and exhibition materials. As you’d expect of Sussex, this event was about much more than recalling the terrible events of the Second World War, but the questions the Holocaust raises today for inclusivity and human rights. Congratulations for winning this award, it is much deserved.”