The National Holocaust Centre and Museum Information

OUR STORY We opened in 1995 as Beth Shalom (The House of Peace), the only place of Holocaust remembrance & learning in the world founded by Christians - the remarkable Smith family. After a trip to Yad Vashem, they were keen to inspire others in Britain to take responsibility for the 2,000 years of anti-Jewish hate which helped enable the Holocaust. Based in Laxton in the Sherwood Forest area, we became a home-from-home for inspiring speakers: Holocaust survivors. An extension of the Smith family, they attracted ever-growing audiences. One by one, our family of survivors entrusted their artefacts to our care. This is how we evolved from a single exhibition in a family farmhouse, into a nationally accredited museum with prestigious ‘National Portfolio Organisation’ status from @ArtsCouncilEngland. The museum will always exist to serve our educational purpose. The testimonies of our cherished family of Survivors will always be our educational backbone. And our ethos will always be true to the warm Smith family. Marina and Eddie Smith, now in their 80s, live on the estate. Their son Dr James Smith CBE remains our President, as well as heading our sister charity @AegisTrust, which runs the Kigali genocide memorial in Rwanda. James’ brother @StephenSmith MBE was our first Director, before moving to LA to run Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation for 12 years. With superb Educational and Curatorial teams, we offer Primary, Secondary and Tertiary level learning programmes - all underpinned by our two permanent exhibitions, collections and stunning memorial gardens. Powerful sculptures and the scent & sight of 1,000 white roses, each dedicated to named victims, serve as poignant commemoration, reflection and healing spaces. Overall, with our bridge-building #interfaith heritage, we are a warm, comfortable environment in which to encourage uncomfortable dialogue between people of all faiths and none. We are a safe space. We are a museum like no other.