Holocaust Memorial Day brings North Herts together in remembrance

PR Date: Tuesday, 28 January 2020 - 12:00pm

Residents, community leaders and speakers from a variety of faiths came together at Howard Park in Letchworth on Monday 27 January to remember the millions of people, mostly Jews, murdered in the Holocaust. The event marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 25th anniversary of the Bosnian genocide, which ended in 1995.

North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) hosted the commemoration. Everyone gathered at the Council Offices and walked together to Howard Park. Rabbi Alan Garber from Shenley United Synagogue led the service with a moving introductory speech. Despite it being optimistic and inspirational he also referred to recent incidences of anti-semitism that he had experienced locally, making it clear that we must be ever vigilant and ever ready to educate.

Representatives from North Herts Interfaith Forum (NHIFF) - Chris Kell, Ali Sheriff, Bal Sandhu and Reverend Thomas O'Brien - also shared some words which echoed messages of the importance of unity and the coming together of people from different faiths, communities and cultures. The Inter-Faith representatives also highlighted the dangers of marginalising certain groups and encouraged residents to have the courage to speak out if they see this happening.　

The talks were followed by the reading of a poem by Imogen Lowe, a pupil at Whitehill Junior School in Hitchin. Imogen’s poem, entitled ‘Death’ was selected as the winner of a poetry competition organised by NHDC. John Gohorry, a Letchworth Poet, also read a poem he had written especially for the event, entitled ‘Stand Together’.

Councillor Judi Billing, Executive Member for Community Engagement said: "Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us of events in our recent history that continue to have an impact now on individuals, families and communities. As the daughter of a Jewish Refugee from Hitler’s Berlin I regard it as vital that we never forget the horrors of genocide.

"I would like to thank everyone for supporting this local commemoration. The event was a powerful reminder about the need to stand together and respect each others differences".

Rabbi Alan Garber said: "What a special, uplifting, informing and empowering gathering we had for Holocaust Memorial Day in Letchworth Garden City! Although we focused and reflected on the tragedies of the Holocaust and the subsequent modern genocides, the overall message shared and experienced was what we can do to build a society based on unity and love in our mindset and actions".

Stand together

Drowsing, we let things go;
a house in the next street’s burnt down,
the bullies come, and the thugs
with paint cans daubing front doors.
A brick through a window
lets in the barking mad dogs,
and the streets of our get-along town
fill with armbands and yellow stars.

The people next door disappear
in a fog that is undesirable;
in the vanishing van they’ll be fine,
give the rest of us no more trouble.
Propaganda blares unabated;
where the train hits the end of the line
decent people have nothing to fear;
public concern’s overstated. 

What did you see? I saw nothing;
I was looking the other way.
What did you hear?  I heard nothing;
it wasn’t a listening day.
I believed what I read in the papers,
steered my way free of deceit,
kept my nose clear of my neighbours,
shut out screams from the street.

Wiser and younger, you’ve seen through
the mistakes we made, the excuses
that built homes for self-preservation; 
and you know standing side by side
on that slippery ground, human kindness,
is the world’s and our history’s best lesson.
Stand with us, and we’ll march unafraid,
tearing down bigotry’s gates alongside you.

75th anniversary of the Liberation
of Auschwitz, 27 January 1945

John Gohorry