It’s Holocaust Memorial Day as we speak (January 27) and folks throughout East Lancashire have come collectively to recollect and pay respects to victims of genocide, oppression and torture.
This morning, Blackburn with Darwen Council and the Blackburn with Darwen Interfaith Discussion board hosted a memorial ceremony within the Council Chamber at Blackburn City Corridor.
The ceremony, which happened between 10am and 11am noticed audio system from completely different religion communities and contributions from native secondary college pupils.
Pupils from Witton Park Excessive Faculty shared their ideas with reference to Atypical Individuals, as that is the theme of this 12 months’s commemoration.
Rabbi Arnold Saunders got here from Manchester and delivered a keynote speech.
Brayden Hartley, the council’s advertising and marketing and communications apprentice, learn out a poem written particularly for the occasion.
Everybody current on the occasion remembered the six million Jews murdered throughout the Holocaust, alongside the hundreds of thousands of different folks killed underneath Nazi persecution and in genocides that adopted in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Councillor Phil Riley, Chief of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, mentioned: “In Blackburn with Darwen Holocaust Memorial Day is a vital date in our neighborhood calendar.
“It offers the right alternative to replicate on the Holocaust and different atrocities and perceive why is it so essential that we be taught from them, in order that they’re by no means repeated.
“It’s been three years since we now have been capable of collect collectively in individual as a neighborhood – throughout the pandemic, nonetheless, we continued to pay our respects to victims of persecution, by holding Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations on-line.
“I’m wanting ahead to standing along with native folks from all walks of life – unusual individuals who really feel strongly about uniting to reject hatred in all its ugly kinds.”
Derek Estill, secretary of the Blackburn with Darwen Interfaith Discussion board, who collectively organised the ceremony with council officers mentioned: “Our Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration is all the time a really shifting ceremony.
“We’re very grateful to have Rabbi Arnold Saunders coming alongside to share his knowledge with us, and I’m wanting ahead to listening to from the younger folks from native colleges as they share their very own views on how unusual folks like them is usually a pressure for good on this planet and name out prejudice and hatred earlier than it escalates.”
Different East Lancashire councils are additionally paying their respects this Holocaust Memorial Day.
Tonight the Mercer Clock Tower in Nice Harwood shall be lit up purple tonight to mark the day, which can be the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
This week, Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson signed the Holocaust Instructional Belief’s E book of Dedication, in doing so pledging his dedication to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those that have been murdered throughout the Holocaust in addition to paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to teach younger folks as we speak.
After signing the E book of Dedication, Mr Stephenson mentioned, “Holocaust Memorial Day is a vital alternative for folks from Pendle to replicate on the darkest occasions of European historical past. As we speak, I pledge to recollect the six million Jewish males, girls and kids who have been murdered in Holocaust.”
From Monday 23 January Blackburn Cathedral will host two exhibitions designed to provide folks the chance to find out about Jewish tradition and customs.
The ‘Jewish Dwelling Expertise’ is a touring exhibition that provides folks a possibility to expertise Judaism via superbly illustrated show panels and by dealing with genuine cultural artefacts. Faculty teams can even participate in academic actions that promote experiential studying.
‘They’re solely Photos’ is a thought-provoking exhibition of images of Auschwitz taken by an interfaith group on a latest go to. It focuses on the affect of neighborhood dialogue on our understanding of dignity and mutual respect.
