On Friday 26th January, we hosted our Annual Holocaust Memorial Day.
At this time when it’s perhaps even more important to Never Forget, we filled our shul hall with around 120 very welcome supporters.
As well as members of our own St. Annes Synagogue and our neighbours at Blackpool Reform Synagogue, we were delighted to welcome MP’s from Fylde, Blackpool South and Lancashire and Fleetwood. The Mayors of Fylde, Wyre and Blackpool joined us, along with the Leaders and many of the councillors from many of the surrounding councils and parishes. Representatives of the Police (to whom we are hugely grateful for their ongoing support and security) and also the representative of the Lancashire Lieutenancy. Our thanks too to the Vicar of St. Pauls Church and the Chaplain of St. Georges Church, who joined us.
Our Speaker was Stuart Ferster of Northern Holocaust Education Group, a 2nd generation Holocaust Survivor, who gave an engrossing and moving illustrated talk about his fathers experiences.
The programme below lists the many schools who took part and who all performed magnificently on the day, as well as our other invited guests who contributed to our service.
Scroll down for the full video of the event and photographs.
Wonderful to see the amazing contribution of the children from a number of schools. A moving testimony from Stuart, keeping alive the experiences of his father and many other Holocaust survivors.
Some people have asked me for an English translation of the Yiddish song I sang at the Holocaust Memorial Day. This translation retains the poetic language:
https://arlsoft.com/mbr/public/songs/Zog_Nit_Keynmol-RosenthalTranslation.html