Erev Yom HaShoah: ‘People Without History Are Dust’: An In Conversation with Dr Anna Hájková and Rabbi Kamila Kopřivová
April 13 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
MON 13 APR 2026 18:30 Westminster Synagogue, London
Where are the stories of great queer love in the Shoah? There are almost none. Dr Anna Hájková examines why the history of same-sex desire during the Shoah – queerness among Jews persecuted by the Nazis for their race – is largely absent from history books, and how restoring these narratives can contribute to a more inclusive understanding of the Holocaust.
Based on extensive archival research and oral histories, her book, recently awarded the 75th National Jewish Book Award in the Holocaust category, offers a concise and accessible insight into the queer history of the Holocaust for both general readers and specialists. On Monday 13th April, Anna will discuss her research in conversation with Rabbi Kamila Kopřivová on the occasion of Yom HaShoah, the annual day of Holocaust remembrance in the Jewish calendar.
- 6.30pm – Erev Yom HaShoah Service
- 7pm – In Conversation, followed by Q&A and refreshments
- Early Bird Tickets: £15 members / £20 non-members Early bird ends Monday 6 April BOOK NOW
Dr Anna Hájková is Reader of modern European continental history at the University of Warwick. She is the author of, among others, The Last Ghetto: An Everyday History of Theresienstadt (2020) and People Without History Are Dust: Queer Desire in the Holocaust (2025) which won the 75th National Jewish Book Award in the Holocaust category, in February. Hájková is the pioneer of queer Holocaust history.
