International Newcastle was honoured to attend the Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration at the Civic Centre on 26th January, as a guest of the Representative Council of North East Jewry and Newcastle City Council. It was a powerful and emotional occasion, with members of the Jewish, Roma, Bosnian and other communities who have experienced the holocaust and genocides across the world present, as well as hundreds of children from across the city, multifaith and Council representatives and guests.
In this full day event, in the morning school children and survivors came together for a Learning Day Conference where exchanged experiences and reflections and guests joined in the afternoon for the commemoration event. This is part of the ‘We are’ school programme which engages middle and secondary schools in the city. This unique programme is led by holocaust and genocide survivors and supported by the City Council and has been running over the last year. Students have listened to the lived experiences of survivors, learned about history, identity, empathy and the importance of standing up to prejudice and hate through personal testimonies and taken part in creative activities and critical reflection. During the event on 26th January, students were encouraged to identify the warning signs of discrimination and understand the significance of remembrance.
Smajo Beso (pictured), Chair of the Bosnian Genocide Education Trust and lead for the ‘We Are’ programme, hosted the day and welcomed guests to the commemoration event in the afternoon.
A choir of 140 children from Newcastle schools began and ended the commemoration with a moving song, commissioned for the event. Smajo shared his own experience and explained the importance of the schools’ programme and remembering, but also taking responsibility and taking action against prejudice and discrimination and for unity against hatred.
These messages were echoed by Newcastle’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Henry Gallagher, Dr Martin Stern (holocaust survivor) and Rabbi Fabien Shorovsky and an Imam who led a multifaith prayer. Candles were lit in remembrance of Holocaust and genocide victims.
Young people from Newcastle schools also made powerful statements about what they had learned from their involvement in ‘We Are’.
Inspired by this year’s Bridging Generations theme, Newcastle’s Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorative event was an opportunity for people across the city to come together to remember those who were persecuted or murdered during the Holocaust and the genocides that followed and reflect on the lessons of the past.
The ‘We Are’ schools’ programme will continue, with schools focusing on what the stories they have heard mean to them and how they will develop their own conversations and stories, culminating in an event in July.