Rochdale’s MP meets Holocaust survivor as borough honours Memorial Day

Wednesday, 28 January 2026 11:10

By David Murphy

Survivor Mala Tribich MBE with Rochdale MP Paul Waugh and other MPs at the House of Commons for the Holocaust Memorial Day. Credit: Paul Waugh

People across Rochdale have taken time to reflect on the atrocities of the Holocaust and other genocides, as the borough joins national commemorations for Holocaust Memorial Day.

This year’s theme, Bridging Generations, aims to carry the responsibility of remembrance forward as the number of living survivors continues to decline.

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh marked the day by signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in Parliament and meeting 95-year-old survivor Mala Tribich MBE. She shared her harrowing story of surviving the Nazi concentration camps at Ravensbrück and Bergen-Belsen, a fate only she and her brother escaped from among their family.

Mr Waugh described the encounter as “very moving” and stressed the need for education to combat the ignorance that fuels hatred. “Today, we remember the millions murdered in the Holocaust and other genocides,” he said. “It’s only through education that we tackle the ignorance that fuels hatred.”

The ceremony also featured the ‘In Their Footsteps’ exhibition, a poignant display of 220 ceramic shoes, each representing a life lost in the Holocaust.

Mr Waugh also referenced his recent visit to Srebrenica, where 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed in 1995, the most recent genocide in Europe.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust reminded people that genocide “doesn’t discriminate by age” and highlighted the importance of remembering not just individuals, but entire family lines erased during these atrocities. “Bridging Generations invites us to honour each life,” the Trust said.

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