Days after he sent the email, Sassoon received a message from Pollard - sent on eruv Yom Kippur - saying he had been “naive, disrespectful, arrogant and rude” was removed from the committee.
The Jewish woman who had originally invited Sassoon to join the committee said she was excluded from an internal email thread discussing his removal and she resigned after she learned of the episode.
She told the JC that she had often felt like the “token Jew” on the committee and cited the scheduling of meetings on Rosh Hashanah, Sassoon’s removal on Yom Kippur and what she described as a wider lack of sensitivity around Jewish issues.
“He lacks the sensitivity and depth of understanding about Jewish people’s lived experience,” she said of Pollard.
While acknowledging that “there are some good people” on the committee and that important work had been done over the past two decades, she said it had always “felt off” commemorating the Holocaust in a cathedral.
She also described what she saw as a recurring sense of competition between different genocides.
“It felt sadly like we were having to vie for attention between different genocides including the Holocaust,” she said.
Sassoon, who co-founded the Derbyshire Jewish community in 2024 and previously helped organise Holocaust Memorial Day events in the south of England, said the episode reflected a wider marginalisation of Jewish voices from the committee and the ceremony itself.
The annual Derby HMD event was started by former Labour MP and Press TV presenter Chris Williamson, a former hard-left Labour MP who claimed the party under Jeremy Corbyn was "too apologetic" on antisemitism.
Pollard told the JC that the committee was “open to individuals willing to work collaboratively and to uphold the nationally defined principles of HMD”, describing it as a “democratic committee” with “no group leader”. Its work is supported through voluntary financial contributions.
At his first committee meeting, Sassoon outlined his background in Holocaust education, including receiving formal certification for his work and supporting his grandparents, Peter and Marianne Summerfield BEM, in their Holocaust educational outreach.
Following the meeting, Sassoon asked Pollard whether he could share some “candid and constructive observations and reflections”.
Photos from previous years' commemorations show dancing (HMD Derby website)[Missing Credit]
After Pollard agreed, Sassoon sent an email describing his “not entirely positive” first impressions of the committee. Several days later, Pollard responded by removing him from the committee.
Sassoon said that Pollard “should not be anywhere near an HMD committee”.
Following their departures, Sassoon and his former colleague have been involved in organising alternative Holocaust Memorial Day events across Derbyshire, with commemorations planned in Derby, Matlock and Chesterfield.
In a written response to the JC, Pollard rejected Sassoon’s account.
He said Sassoon’s email to the committee had “raised concerns” about “assumptions, tone and content” and about his ability to work collaboratively within a voluntary committee.
“The decision not to confirm his ongoing involvement was taken in the interests of maintaining a respectful and functional working environment. It was not based on religion, ethnicity, or identity.
“There was no intention to cause offence in relation to religious observance, and the suggestion that correspondence was deliberately sent to disrespect Jewish festivals is incorrect.”
He said that the resignation of another Jewish member was “her own choice.”
"The committee did not seek her resignation, nor did it regard her as a ‘token’ representative. Her contribution was valued, and her decision was respected. We regret very much that anyone fighting prejudice should feel unwelcome. That was in no way our intention.
“Subsequently, a member of the committee independently approached [the Jewish member who resigned] and initiated a one-to-one meeting. This resulted in a long, calm, and constructive discussion, and a positive way forward was agreed. It was mutually decided that the two groups would work in parallel and support one another by publishing and promoting each other’s events through their respective communications.
“We strongly reject assertions that Jewish people are unwelcome on the committee or that the group lacks sensitivity to Jewish lived experience. Such claims are not supported by the committee’s long-standing work, practice, or record.”
“It is not accurate to suggest that Jewish members were ‘forced off’ the committee or that Jewish experience has been diminished. Participation is voluntary, and Jewish voices have historically been present and valued.”
He said that in every Derby HMD programme the Holocaust is “explicitly named and remains the central historical event commemorated.
“Survivor testimony is included, Jewish religious elements are present, including the Kaddish, the traditional laying of stones takes place [and] every year, a Rabbi is formally invited to attend the programme.
“In line with the national HMD framework, the programme also recognises other groups persecuted and murdered by the Nazi regime, including Gypsies (their preferred term), Roma, people with disabilities, academics, and creative and performing artists, including musicians. Music, in particular, was a life-saving form of resistance and survival in places such as Theresienstadt and Auschwitz, and its importance is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and reflected in the Torah.
“In line with the national HMD framework, the programme also recognises other genocides of the 20th and 21st centuries. This has never been done to minimise the Holocaust, but to support education and reflection. The suggestion that history has been ‘rewritten’ is false.”
“At no point have Derby HMD events been framed as ‘celebrations’. They are commemorative, reflective, and educational in nature. Where cultural elements are included, they are intended to honour memory, dignity, and resilience, not to diminish suffering.”
Responding to the story, the chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, said: “Holocaust Memorial Day ensures that remembrance remains visible, meaningful and relevant, helping to build a future grounded in empathy, compassion and respect.
“At a time when antisemitism and other forms of prejudice are rising across the UK, it is more important than ever that Holocaust Memorial Day brings together people from all backgrounds, ages and beliefs.”
