To mark the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, we held a Holocaust Memorial Service in school last night, which was attended by parents, staff and members of the community.
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January) for 2012 asks us all to Speak Up, Speak Out to create a safer, better future.
The evening saw presentations from Year 10 History students on the youth groups and church officials who opposed Hitler’s regime, and from Year 8 students who looked at the plight of refugees and also presented the work they had done looking into the lives of gypsies and travellers.
Musical contributions came from Lisa Burton in Year 11 who sang Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, and from Ollie Walker in Year 12 who performed his song ‘Lest We Forget’ which he had written specifically for the Service.
Sixth Form students Sophie Durdle and Phillipa Budd, who will be visiting Auschwitz in March as part of the Lessons from Auschwitz programme organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, read the School’s Statement of Commitment, and lit candles along with members of the community. Prayers and reflection were led by the Rev Mark Perry.
Julia Linsley, Head of Religious Education and Citizenship at the school said: “On HMD 2012, we are encouraging our local community to come together to remember victims of the Holocaust and those whose lives have been affected by exclusion and hatred in subsequent genocides. We hope that as a result of our service people will think about how they can speak up and speak out in the memory of those whose voices were silenced.”