A POIGNANT service was held in St Helens Town Hall today on Monday to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In total, six million Jewish men, women and children were murdered in the Holocaust – while millions of others were killed in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
The town hall event saw pupils from the borough’s schools perform musical and dance pieces, and recite readings based on this year’s theme ‘Stand Together’ in front of a packed audience, with the Mayor of St Helens Janet Johnson and senior councillors including Council Leader Councillor David Baines among those in attendance.
Speaking after the ceremony, St Helens Council’s portfolio holder for events, culture and heritage, Councillor Anthony Burns - who spoke at the event - said: “Holocaust Memorial Day provides us with an opportunity for all of our communities to come together, to not only honour the survivors who suffered in the Holocaust under Nazi persecution, but it's also a chance to look to our own lives and communities today.
"We must never forget the millions who lost their lives, and we must learn from the past to reflect and fight for a peaceful future.
"The wonderful music and drama performances we heard today from students across the borough were a timely reminder that atrocious events such as this don't start with gas chambers but with words.
"We must do all we can to eradicate hate crime and to promote community cohesion and respect for one another regardless of our religion, race or colour."
Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations will continue this week and next week throughout the borough with an exhibition on loan from the Jewish Museum in London.
The exhibition shows, ‘The Promise’ – which tells the story of Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss and her brother Heinz, who helped process what happened to him by writing poetry and painting artwork.
It will be on show at Rainhill Library until January 31 before moving to Billinge Library where it can be viewed from February 3-6.
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