Kate Middleton Speaks with 2 Survivors for Holocaust Memorial Day

The Duchess of Cambridge chatted with Holocaust survivors and youth ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust in honor of Holocaust Memorial Day.

In a recorded video call, Kate had a moving discussion with survivors Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg, two men whom the duchess and Prince William had the honor of meeting four years prior. During the conversation, Shipper and Goldberg detailed their experiences and memories of the Holocaust, and how it still has a prevailing impact on their everyday lives. The men have known each other since 1944, having met at the Stutthof concentration camp, the first to be built outside German borders and one of the last camps to be liberated in May 1945.

"The stories you both have shared with me again today, and your dedication in educating the younger generation about your experiences and the horrors of the Holocaust shows extreme strength and such bravery," said the Duchess of Cambridge during the call. "It's so important and so inspirational, so thank you so much once again for sharing your stories with me and for all the work you do in sharing your experiences."

Kensington Palace

In addition to Shipper and Goldberg, Kate also heard from Farah Ali and Maxwell Horner, youth ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust's Outreach Programme. The organization works to educate younger generations about the impact of the Holocaust by putting human faces to its history.

Both Shipper and Goldberg work with the HET Outreach Programme to educate younger generations about the importance of remembering the Holocaust—and how the world can continue to learn from it today.

"What I end up telling them is … that please remember all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to remain silent. And I do get feedback that indicates that this is taken aboard," said Goldberg. "I have been told time and again, that learning about the Holocaust from a textbook is rather dull and doesn't make an impact. But to listen to a survivor makes an incredible impact."

Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed. 

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