Rochdale borough remembers the Holocaust

Rededication of the Holocaust Memorial Stone with Henry West MBE, Mayor Surinder Biant, Rev Mark Coleman

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The borough of Rochdale marked Holocaust Memorial Day with a special ceremony yesterday (Wednesday 27 January).

The Act of Commemoration, organised by The Borough of Rochdale Multi-Faith Partnership in conjunction with Rochdale Council Cohesion Hub, took place at Littleborough Coach House last night.

Local residents, partnership members, council representatives, faith and community groups attended the service to remember victims and survivors of the Holocaust, Nazi persecutions and other worldwide genocides.

The event began with the rededication of the Holocaust Memorial Stone in the Littleborough Memorial Gardens, to commemorate the extermination of six million Jews and other minority groups by the Nazis.

Guest then gathered at the coach house for a service which consisted of readings and speeches by members of the Multi-Faith Partnership, M6 Youth Theatre and council leaders.

Six candles of remembrance were also lit to remember other genocides from around the world over the last 100 years, followed by a minute’s silence.

Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day of remembrance as designated by the United Nations. This year’s theme is ‘Don’t stand by’ encouraging people to stand up and speak out about persecution and hate crime.

Councillor Dalaat Ali, Rochdale Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community, said “We must continue to fight discrimination and persecution wherever and however it rears its head and so the lessons we have from the Holocaust are as pertinent today as ever.”

Ann Jones, Secretary for the Borough of Rochdale Multi-Faith Partnership, said: “Awareness of Holocaust Memorial Day is growing across the UK. It is vitally important that we learn from the events of World War II and also from other genocides, some of very recent times.

We should not allow the factors, which create the conditions where persecution can take place, to happen. This is the theme for 2016 ‘Don’t Stand By’. Rochdale Borough has an excellent record with community cohesion but we must never be complacent and should continue to commit ourselves to this Annual Commemoration and to educating the younger generation about what can happen if we stand by and allow it.”