00:00Ladies and gentlemen,
00:26To be in Poland on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we commemorate eighty
00:34years since the liberation of Auschwitz, is both a somber and indeed a sacred moment.
00:43It is a moment when we recall the six million Jews, old and young, who were systematically
00:51murdered together with Sinti, Roma, disabled people, members of the LGBT community, political
01:00prisoners and so many others upon whom the Nazis inflicted their violence and hatred.
01:10It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed
01:18to flourish, ignored for too long by the world.
01:23And it is a moment when we recall the powerful testimonies of survivors such as Lili Ebert,
01:30who so sadly passed away in October, and who collectively taught us to cherish our freedom,
01:38to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.
01:49And in a world that remains full of turmoil and strife, and has witnessed the dangerous
01:58re-emergence of anti-Semitism, there can be no more important message, especially as the
02:05United Kingdom holds the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
02:14As the number of Holocaust survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility
02:23of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders and on those of generations yet unborn.
02:33The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task.
02:40And in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.
02:46Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn.
02:54And there is no greater symbol of this rebirth than the Jewish community center in which
03:01we are gathered here today.
03:05Standing on the steps of this wonderfully vibrant center some 17 years ago, having encouraged
03:13its construction and taken immense pride in opening it, I was filled with a sense of hope
03:22and optimism at the life and energy that coursed throughout this building.
03:29So returning today, along with World Jewish Relief, of which I am extremely proud to be
03:34patron, that sense of hope and optimism has only grown.
03:42With their support, together with other generous benefactors, this center has blossomed from
03:49the bud of an idea into an essential hub for the community.
03:56Ladies and gentlemen, in a post-Holocaust world, projects such as this center are how
04:04we recover our faith in humanity.
04:07They also show us there is much work still to be done if we are not just to remember
04:14the past, but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for
04:22future generations, a world of which we can be truly proud.
04:29And this remains the sacred task of us all.
04:35Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
04:52Your Majesty, I know that I speak on behalf of all of us when I say that your words and
05:12your actions move us extraordinarily deeply, and your strength and your leadership in knowing
05:18what is right and following through what is right will be remembered and appreciated
05:23by not just those who survived the Holocaust, but by the Jewish community and indeed by
05:28the nation, the Commonwealth, and by humanity.
05:31We are genuinely, genuinely grateful to you, and you moved us very deeply, Your Majesty.
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