Time to reflect: Holocaust Commemoration Service
St Albans residents are invited to remember the victims of the Holocaust at a special commemoration service on the evening of Wednesday 25 January.
Freddie Knoller, one of a dwindling number of Holocaust survivors, will tell the story of how he was sent away by parents after the Anschluss in Vienna. The 95 year-old’s incredible tale covers his dramatic flight from Austria following the country’s annexation by Nazi Germany.
A Holocaust Commemoration Service is held each year in St Albans District to coincide with the national Holocaust Memorial Day. Holocaust Memorial Day is supported by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. The aim is to mark the holocaust and subsequent genocides.
The theme this year for Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘How can life go on?’. People are being asked to reflect on what happens after genocide and their responsibilities in the wake of these atrocities. In line with this theme, everyone attending the Holocaust Commemoration Service will be invited to think about the victims of genocide and how communities can be rebuilt.
Led by Rabbi Daniel Sturgess of the St Albans United Synagogue, candles will be lit in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
Candles will also be lit for other victims of Nazi persecution as well as the victims of subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
The service will also include a memorial prayer sung by Cantor Steven Leas and musical contributions from the Shalom Youth Quartet.
The host of the Holocaust Commemoration Service, the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Cllr Frances Leonard, said:
“Join us to remember the people who have lost their lives in genocides like the Holocaust and to think about those who remain. Genocide destroys lives and communities, with many people forced to flee their homes. We need to think about helping survivors recover from the trauma and communities to
rebuild following the devastation and destruction that has occurred.”
If you wish to attend the service, please register your interest by emailing Mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk or calling 01727 819544 (24 hour answerphone) by Monday 23 January.
The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Frances Leonard.
Contact for the Mayor’s office:
Alison Orde, the Mayor’s Civic Officer
Tel: 01727 819544
Email: mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Senior Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StAlbansCouncil
Notes:
More information about Holocaust Memorial Day is available on the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s website.https://www.hmd.org.uk/