My Family, the Holocaust & Me with Robert Rinder aired last night and the TV judge has since thanked viewers for their support.
Monday (November 9) evening’s episode was the first in the two-part series, which sees the barrister help second and third generations of British Jewish families retrace relatives’ footsteps and find out what happened to them during the Holocaust.
What happened in the first episode of My Family, the Holocaust & Me with Robert Rinder?
In the first episode, Robert travelled to Belarus and met Helena, who was just a child when Nazi soldiers gathered local Jewish people – including children – to a ditch near the town where she lived.
The Nazis shot them all so that they fell into the ditch and covered them with dirt, even though some were still alive.
Read more: Who is Louisa Clein? Emmerdale star who appears in Robert Rinder’s Holocaust series
Robert said some of his own relatives were killed in the massacre.
Looking at the mass grave on the programme, Judge Rinder said tearfully: “So what’s in a piece of earth, but in the story we heard… people still alive, buried here, moving… it’s impossible to describe. I’d like to name the families, just to know they’re remembered, that we told their story.”
What did Robert Rinder say about his new series?
On Twitter today (Tuesday, November 10), Robert praised viewers for tuning in as he called Britain “a great nation”.
This is why we are a great nation. We ALL understand: The responsibility to defeat evil starts with us.
He tweeted: “Last night over 3 million people from every community, age and background, from every region, watched a programme about the Holocaust.
“The usual hate on social media was silenced. This is why we are a great nation. We ALL understand: The responsibility to defeat evil starts with us.”
Last night over 3 million people from every community, age & background, from every region watched a programme about the Holocaust. The usual hate on social media was silenced. This is why we are a great nation. We ALL understand: The responsibility to defeat evil starts with us.
— Rob Rinder (@RobbieRinder) November 10, 2020
How did BBC viewers react?
On Twitter, viewers said they found the first part of the documentary “harrowing” and called it a “painful” but “vital” watch.
One said: “Just watched My Family, the Holocaust & Me with Robert Rinder. It was harrowing as you’d expect. The stories need telling or history will repeat itself.”
Another tweeted: “The Judge Rinder Holocaust doc was pretty sobering. Just unimaginable evil.”
Someone else said: “That Robert Rinder programme about the Holocaust gives me a real lump in the throat, tear in the eye.”
A fourth wrote: “That Robert Rinder programme on Holocaust histories. Brave, painful, vital; everyone should see it.”
Just watched My Family, the Holocaust & Me with Robert Rinder. It was harrowing as you’d expect. The stories need telling or history will repeat itself.
— DAZ M. YNWA 🇺🇦🇵🇸 (@Mogsy67) November 9, 2020
After Hearts documentary the Judge Rinder holocaust doc was pretty sobering. Just unimaginable evil.
— Craig C (@Prefab_Trout) November 9, 2020
That Robert Rinder programme about the Holocaust gives me a real lump in the throat , tear in the eye
— In Lisbon We Won (@lisbonwewon) November 9, 2020
I believe in all my heart that history matters, now more than ever. In writing people's family histories I've had to share great sadness & it's reinforced the reach of the past. But that Robert Rinder programme on Holocaust histories. Brave, painful, vital; everyone should see it
— Stuart Fraser (@fraserwords) November 9, 2020
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