We had the privilege of taking 20 members of the NEU on a jointly organised educational trip to Poland. It was a profound and moving experience. We had great historians and writers with us who guided us through the streets of Warsaw, where Jewish people made up over 30% of the population before the Nazi holocaust.
We heard from local activists and artists about the struggle over memorialisation and against antisemitism and the far right today. We learnt about how the Nazis came to power in Germany and debated how they could have been stopped. Whilst the Jewish people had been the vast majority of the Nazis victims, they had targeted many groups; the disabled, the Roma, LGBT+ communities, communists, socialists and trade unionists, to name a few.
Our guides took us to parts of the old Warsaw Ghetto where we learnt of the incredible ghetto fights and uprising that stood up to the might of Nazi oppression. These were just some of the remarkable acts of resistance that we looked at.
Our learning continued in Krakow, where we considered the Progressive Education movement in Poland between the two world wars. Our visit and walking tour of Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter of Krakow, showed us parts of Jewish life, whilst our tour of the former ghetto and the Eagle Pharmacy museum showed further the brutality of the regime and the acts of bravery in the face of such a regime.
We visited the most infamous of all the death camps, Auschwitz – Birkenau. Nothing can prepare you for the devastation and destruction of the death camps. The personal items of so many show you the human side of the numbers of people murdered there. The process of dehumanising people, the cruelty and violence, the utter depravity of the Nazis showed us why we have the slogan ‘never again’.
We all came away determined to make ‘never again’ a reality.
Reflections from delegates:
“I had the honour of joining the NEU delegation to Poland, an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
We walked streets where ghetto walls once stood, where hundreds of thousands of lives were stolen. We stood where people rose up with extraordinary courage during the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, resisting even in the face of certain death. The weight of history lingered in every step we took. But nothing could prepare us for Auschwitz.
Thanks to the learning and reflection built into the week, our visit wasn’t just a solemn milestone; it was a turning point. A moment where remembrance became responsibility. Auschwitz wasn’t just a place to witness, it will the beginning of my activism journey.
There are no words strong enough for what we saw there. The silence echoed louder than any voice. The suitcases. The names. The photos. The absence. A chilling reminder of where hatred, unchecked, leads.
I’m deeply grateful to the NEU for this life-changing opportunity. I return not just with new knowledge, but with purpose. In a time when racism, fascism and the far right are gaining ground in the UK, we all have a duty to act. To speak up. To say, and truly mean: Never again.
Remembering is not enough. In the spirit of Doikayt (hereness) we must be present. We must fight injustice wherever it lives. We must transform memory into action. Silence serves the oppressor. It’s no longer enough to say “I’m not racist.” We must prove it. We must be anti-racist. We must call out discrimination and oppression, and never be afraid to use our voices to educate, challenge, and change.
“Hate is never right and love is never wrong.” That truth feels more urgent than ever.”
- Luc Cunningham, Medway NEU
“Before I joined this delegation, I thought I knew the risk of the Far Right and fascism in the past, but I was wrong. The echoes of the past are so prevalent today in modern politics that we cannot be complacent to what is occurring in our country.
Those living in prewar Europe would never have expected that a cruel, vindictive, and destructive regime such as the Nazis would ever come to power. They would never expect that by voting for the National Socialist German Workers Party they would be called racist – instead, many believed they were voting for a populist future, and for the good of their country. Those regular men and women of 1930s Germany are not too dissimilar to those who are now voting for far right parties in the West.
What we need to do is use the lessons from the past, and remember the strength and power of resistance. We can’t let the horror of the past become our future, and must do everything within our grasp to ensure that never again stays reality.
Auschwitz stands as a stark reminder of the horrors of fascism but too often, the focus in education is solely on Nazi crimes, overlooking the powerful stories of Jewish resistance.
In the face of unimaginable cruelty, people resisted. From underground education to armed uprisings, acts of defiance, both big and small, challenged the Nazi regime.
These stories are vital. They show us that even in the darkest times, resistance was possible, and courage endured.
Today, as far-right ideologies rise again across the world, these stories must fuel our fight.
We face new forms of fascism, driven by nationalism, racism, imperialism, and unchecked capitalism. Remembering resistance means more than looking back—it means taking action now.
This trip to Auschwitz has reignited the fire in me: a commitment to tell all stories, to resist oppression in every form, and to build a movement rooted in truth, justice, and solidarity.
Let the past guide us—but let our actions shape the future.”
- Sophie Houghton, Assistant District Secretary, Durham NEU
“I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge about the pre-war, wartime, and post-war periods. The heroic and selfless acts of resistance have been particularly enlightening. This newfound understanding has inspired me to take a more active role in supporting others and promoting unity, equality & respect for all. I have gained the confidence and courage to join marches and stand up against the far right and fascism.
This trip will stay with me as an inspirational experience that sparked personal growth and reflection.”
- Mina Kaur, Black Organising Forum (Northern Region) & Darlington District Black Members Officer
“We’re told repeatedly, and rightly, “We must learn the lessons of the Holocaust.” This trip taught us some crucial lessons for today. Once you realise that Nazis regarded their victims as sub-human, none of their diabolical cruelty comes as a surprise. We felt the presence of ghosts in the gas chambers, but they were not the shades of nameless, passive victims. The lengths the Nazis went to suppress resistance – the cunning and deceit alongside the vicious brutality – just showed how immensely strong the spirit of human resistance is, even right there amidst the horrors of the death camps and ghettos. It’s that resistance we must build now, against dehumanisation of any human beings anywhere, from Palestine to Peterborough. It means standing up against racist rhetoric from the far right, the so-called centre, and from within our own movement. It means mobilising so that there can be no more genocide never again, for anyone, anywhere.”
- Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, ISO South Kent NEU
“I am deeply grateful to have been a delegate on this study tour, especially at a time when we are witnessing the resurgence of far-right figures and the mainstreaming of far-right and populist rhetoric—not just at home, but across many countries. The trip was an invaluable opportunity to deepen my understanding of resistance, both through the guided walks on the streets and through study sessions which illustrated the stories of Jewish resistance from the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and beyond.
Learning about the extraordinary courage of those who resisted—Jewish fighters and their allies—was profoundly moving. To imagine the strength they summoned within themselves, the strength of their commitment to retaining their humanity and to winning back their liberty and their dignity, and the comradeship they fostered in the face of unimaginable, systematic persecution is nothing short of inspiring. Their utter resilience and their immense bravery serve as a guiding light for all of us who are determined to counter, confront, and resist the growing threat of far-right and fascist movements today.”