
Holocaust Memorial Day commemorated in Islington
This Holocaust Memorial Day (Monday, 27 January), the borough came together to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution.
At a special event at Islington Assembly Hall yesterday, attendees also commemorated the victims of atrocities and genocides worldwide, including in places such as Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, Iraq, and Cambodia.
The event included guest speakers, such as Gerry Hahlo, who told the story of how his grandfather, Georg, escaped from Nazi Germany - after eluding capture in the 1938 November pogroms and pleading with police for a permit to travel.
Having secured himself a visa to travel to Bolivia, Georg ensured the safety of his young children – including Gerry’s father, Dieter, on one of the “Kindertransport” trains to England.
Gerry’s book “The Boy on the Train: A Father and Son’s Kindertransport Story”, tells the story of his grandfather's escape and his father’s new life in England.
Meanwhile, a student from Arsenal’s Sixth Form programme, Evie Griffin, told attendees about their visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and a Jewish cemetery as part of an educational day trip.
The World Harmony Orchestra, whose musicians include refugees from around the world, also performed at the Assembly Hall, and Yiddish songs were performed.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia. The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day was “For a Better Future”, with people around the world being invited to learn from the Holocaust and more recent genocides.
Cllr Sheila Chapman, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Equalities, Communities and Inclusion, said: “The testimonies that we heard at our Holocaust Memorial Day event were another poignant, painful reminder of the terrible consequences of intolerance and hatred.
“To create a better future, we must learn the lessons from the past – so it’s vitally important that we all educate ourselves on the Holocaust and other atrocities.
“Islington’s strength is in our diversity, and it is by standing together and making our borough a welcoming place for all that we can create a more equal future.”
Notes to editors
Yesterday’s event also featured addresses from Cllr Chapman, Cllr Una O’Halloran, Leader of the Council, Cllr Jason Jackson, Deputy Mayor of the Council, and Islington’s two local MPs.
Statements of Commitment were also read by Rabbi Mendy Korer, Rabbi Leah Jordan, Cllr Jackson, Borough of Sanctuary Grant panel member Sahil, Evie Griffin, Gerry Hahlo, and Cllr Angelo Weekes, Islington’s Executive Member for Community Safety.
Contact information
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