Councils mark Holocaust Memorial Day
Tuesday 28 January 2020
Published: 3 February 2020
East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire Councils jointly hosted this year's Holocaust Memorial Day event on Tuesday 28 January.
The event, held at Eastwood Park Theatre, was an evening of music and stories which highlighted the true horror of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
2020 marks 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz and to commemorate this Howard Singerman gave a moving account of his mother's survival in Auschwitz.
It is also the 25th anniversary of the bombing of Sarajevo and Herzegovina and Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura, who was born in the country before the war begun and now lectures on genocide studies, spoke of her experience and how it shaped her life.
Provost Jim Fletcher said: 'It is an honour to host this event with our neighbours in Renfrewshire. We are home to Scotland's largest Jewish population and enjoy a wonderful relationship with the Jewish community, so marking Holocaust Memorial Day every year is something extremely important to all of us. Listening to the horror experienced by Howard's mother and Arnesa was truly harrowing but it is only right that we listen to them, never forget what they went through and help to ensure that it never happens again.'
Renfrewshire's Provost, Lorraine Cameron said: 'Throughout history, genocidal regimes have deliberately fractured societies and have been enabled by ordinary citizens not standing with neighbours who are being targeted. Today there is increasing division in our communities and it is important that as we come together to remember the millions of people who lost their lives during the Holocaust, as well as the millions of others who suffered through persecution, we also highlight the importance of standing together to prevent future division in our society. The annual Holocaust Memorial Day service ensures that the lessons of the past continue to be passed on to present and future generations.'
