Celebrities celebrate the UK Holocaust Centre
10 May 2011 - Celebrities including Stephen Fry and Maureen Lipman are throwing their weight behind a glittering new addition to London’s social calendar. The star-studded White Rose Ball will be held on 25 September at the Park Plaza, Riverbank, London. The aim of the Ball is to raise awareness and safeguard the future of The Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire; the only centre dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance in the UK.
“Born of one non-Jewish family’s unique response to the destruction of Europe’s Jews, The Holocaust Centre is a moving memorial and a vital place of learning for young people and wider society today – yet its future cannot be guaranteed without much greater financial support,” says Henry Grunwald QC, former President of the Board of Deputies, now a trustee of the Centre.
The Centre houses two permanent exhibitions on the Holocaust, hosts regular talks by Holocaust survivors and is visited by more than 20,000 students each year. It is a place for serious engagement with the history of the Holocaust, the humanity of its victims, and the lessons those events hold for us all today. In The Holocaust Centre’s memorial gardens, over 1,000 fragrant white roses have been dedicated by survivors and others in memory of loved ones murdered in the Holocaust. The Centre is also home to the Aegis Trust, the leading UK-based genocide prevention organization.
The White Rose Charity Ball will open with a Champagne Reception, followed by a meal with each course designed by famous foodies. There will be fabulous live entertainment and a unique auction featuring money-can’t-buy art such as a Faberge egg and items donated by celebrities and fashion designers including Jimmy Choo. There will also be some moments for reflection on the experiences of Holocaust survivors who share their stories with young people at The Holocaust Centre, and on the courage of all those who – like the White Rose protest movement in Nazi Germany – demonstrate active humanity in the face of prejudice and hatred today.
“We are thrilled that this event already has the support of so many wonderfully talented people,” says Dr James Smith. “We hope that all those who come will not only be moved and entertained, but also inspired by the fact that their participation will be helping to ensure The Holocaust Centre continues its essential work of memory and education for years to come.”
For ticket information, email paula@whiteroseball.org
