Holocaust Memorial Day – Saturday 27 January 2024
Our 2024 resources are in the final development stages but will be available again with partners including UCL and the National Literacy Trust.
This year’s story is the true tale of a sister and brother reunion after the end of the war. Of Mala Tribich MBE & the Late Sir Ben Helfgott, reunited after surviving the Nazi concentration camps. (Mala was in Sweden and Ben in London.)
The Late Sir Ben Helfgott was one of the inspirations for Tom’s acclaimed “After the War from Auschwitz to Ambleside” about the three hundred child concentration camp survivors who came to the Lake District nearly 75 years ago (known as the Windermere Boys) is available with lots of FREE resources to support it. More here www.tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war/
And Mala will be joining Tom in a virtual in the run up to Holocaust Memorial Day.
Please sign up here for a reminder when the Holocaust Memorial Day 2024 resources are available.
Here’s a recap of my resources for Holocaust Memorial Day – Friday 27 January 2023
Thanks to generous funding support from the Marks Family Charitable Trust, the Association of Jewish Refugees and The Blue Thread, we teamed up with the National Literacy Trust to produce free resources for use in the classroom or at home, to help schools commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.
The resources were designed to be used for use with students aged 10 to 14 (Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3) and are available from here literacytrust.org.uk/resources/holocaust-memorial-day/
The 2023 resources include …
A certificate for you to present for student work here
- My story “Small Steps” written specially for Holocaust Memorial Day. “Small Steps” is the 5 part read aloud true story (using survivor and family testimonies) about Michael Novice. He is one of the Windermere children – a Holocaust survivor who went on to help build the camera that filmed the first man on the moon here
- My assembly introducing the story …
- Watch me read the story here …
- A PowerPoint presentation, to introduce the story and resources to students
- Five videos and five worksheets to support and inspire pupils to write their own responses
- A teacher guide with ideas and sources to support your delivery and children’s writing
- A free online Q&A event with me interviewing Mala Tribich, a Holocaust survivor on 27 January 2023 catch up now
Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 recap
Here is a recap of what we organised in previous years with partners including The National Literacy Trust , The Anne Frank Trust and The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre :
“Them” – a NEW FREE 5 part read aloud story written specially for Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 by Tom Palmer – suggested 1 chapter a day that week here- 5 short films and worksheets to support “Them” story and inspire pupils to write their own responses
- 5 short films of Tom reading out loud “Them” available from here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmmlG7jutI-3APJWgcsvPSQ5k-LbrZ9zE
- A teacher guide with ideas and sources to support your delivery of “Them” and children’s writing
- FREE pre-recorded 10 minute video assembly Year 5-9 presentation from Tom about why it is important to mark Holocaust Memorial Day
- Years 5+6 Anne Frank Trust online Q&A event with Holocaust survivor Harry Olmer in conversation with Tom Palmer. Catch up now
- Years 5-9 National Literacy Trust online Q&A event with Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich in conversation with Tom Palmer. Catch up now
- “Why testimony should be at the heart of any Holocaust story” a blog for The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre. https://holocaustlearning.org.uk/latest/after-the-war-writing-about-the-holocaust/
Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 Recap :
I am extremely grateful for the support of the National Literacy Trust, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Lake District Holocaust Project and other partners to bring these to you.
The FREE resources include :
- “The Question” a five-part story to read in school with the National Literacy Trust (available in written format here for you to read aloud / stream / share or as a series of 5 films of Tom reading the story for you to use here ). “The Question” is a five-part read aloud story will be set in the present day about the visit of a Holocaust survivor to a UK school and how the children prepare and reflect on the experience. The survivor will be Yossi, one of the main characters from “After the War”, 75 years on from his liberation, age 91. The story is from the point of view of the pupils and will be aimed at Y5 to Y8. It is not essential to have read “After the War” beforehand (but you can read Chapter 1 of the book for free here https://www.tompalmer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/After-the-War_chapter-sample.pdf . There is more about it here: https://tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war/
- a pre-recorded 20 minute assembly for Y5 to Y8, talking about why we mark Holocaust Memorial Day with the National Literacy Trust (available now here).
a series of films about developing writing and worksheets to support and inspire pupils to write their own responses with the National Literacy Trust (available now here).
Friday, 29 January 10.30 am
Facebook live Q&A event with me, hosted by the National Literacy Trust and a chance to hear from a Holocaust survivor who will be joining us. (Register now here.)
a resource pack created around “After the War” by UCL Centre for Holocaust Education. Containing lesson plans and materials for KS3 History, RS, Cit and Eng (available now here ).
a CPD session hosted by UCL and myself relating to “After the War” (booking open now here).
- an interview with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust about listening to survivor testimonies (available now here and here)
Blackout Poetry Challenge includes how to guide, examples, text and certificate, here.
- More downloadable resources including films of my research, book trailer, glossary and a student workbook are available here www.tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war
Thank you
I’d like to say a big thank you everyone who has used these resources. We have been asked for a signed certificate for schools to present to pupils for their Holocaust Memorial Day work. If you would like to use this one you are very welcome download here.
“After the War” is suitable as a class read for children in Y6 and above.
Find out more about After the War here.
More downloadable resources including films of my research, book trailer, glossary and a student workbook here.
Get the Book : available from your local or school library, your local bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon or support indie bookshops through Bookshop.org here.
‘We will continue to do our bit for as long as we can, secure in the knowledge that others will continue to light a candle long after us.’
Gena Turgel, survivor of the Holocaust (1923-2018)
Thank you
Overseas :
Schools class set offer 
Discover the most memorable moments in football history in this new edition to the Ultimate Football Heroes series! Featuring Pele’s World Cup, Maradona’s Hand of God, John Barnes’ Maracana magic, and the Lionesses’ European Championship triumph, this is an endlessly fascinating treasury of stories for fans of all ages.
Schools class set offer 
Use these resources this Christmas time based on Chapter 19 of Arctic Star. 
Join me in a virtual event to commemorate & discover the 80th Anniversary of the WWII naval Battle of North Cape this December with Mr Dilly.
For over ten years I have asked teachers, TAs and librarians if they would be kind enough to nominate a child they think would benefit from the gift of a book for Christmas. 
This year’s Remembrance Sunday will be marked on 12th November, with Armistice Day on Saturday 11th November 2023.
“The Barnbow Lasses” – a FREE 3 part readaloud story with resources. Download 
My books about various sections of the Armed Forces
Schools bumper 33 book pack 
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