Education's goal: knowledge and empathy

As the number of living Holocaust survivors declines, a profound question emerges: who carries these stories next – and how do we ensure they are heard, understood, and acted upon? In this episode, timed to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th, James and David are joined by Hannah Wilson, Outreach Officer at the charity Generation to Generation, alongside two G2G speakers, Vivienne Cato and and Calum Isaacs, who share their own family histories as descendants of Holocaust survivors. (You can read about their stories here https://www.generation2generation.org.uk/the-story-of-mirjam-finkelstein and here https://www.generation2generation.org.uk/holocaust-survivor-eva-cato). Together, they explore how Holocaust education remains as important, powerful and relevant for young people today – not as mere knowledge of the history, but as lived experience passed from one generation to the next. Vivienne shares the story of her mother Eva, a Slovak Jewish survivor who spent years in hiding under a false identity, and reflects on her experience of growing up in the shadow of survival, luck, and loss. Calum tells the story of his grandmother Mirjam, who survived Nazi persecution through a series of extraordinary events – including a last-minute prisoner exchange – and considers how those near-misses shape identity, values, and responsibility across generations. The conversation also examines: Why Holocaust education matters more than ever How personal testimony cuts through misinformation, distortion, and online extremism The role of ordinary people, bystanders, and complicity – not just dictators – in enabling atrocities Why students often respond with quiet focus, empathy, and deep moral questioning How Holocaust education connects to wider conversations about racism, antisemitism, democracy, and civic responsibility today Hannah reflects on what good Holocaust education looks like in practice, the challenges teachers face, and why grounding learning in real human stories helps young people develop critical thinking, empathy, and historical understanding – without reducing education to moral instruction or political indoctrination. This episode is about remembrance with purpose: how bearing witness is not only about preserving the past, but about shaping the kind of future we want to live in – and the small actions that can make a decisive difference. Support #repod The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean. This podcast is a labour of love, with the emphasis on both the labour and the love. If you’d like to support the podcast and convey your appreciation for these conversations, you can: Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/repod Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/repod