Holocaust Memorial Day was commemorated across the region.
Jewish people honoured Holocaust Memorial Day 2017 across the Manchester Jewish community. Taking place on 27th January every year, it is a time for everyone to remember the millions of people whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides.
The day was commemorated on the Fylde coast this year when over 200 people attended a service at St Annes Hebrew Congregation. This is the first time that the synagogue has held the service, an event usually organised by Blackpool Council. Keynote speaker Arek Hersh, together with his wife Jean, told the audience how he survived the starvation, disease and freezing temperatures, and the march from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Theresienstadt before being liberated by the Russian army in 1945. The talk was heard by a number of dignitaries including the High Sheriff of Lancashire, John Barnett, the Mayor of Fylde and the Leader of Fylde Council, MP for Fylde, Mr Mark Menzies and MP for Blackpool South, Mr Gordon Marsden.
In Cheadle, members of Yeshurun Hebrew Congregation attended East Cheshire Council’s annual Holocaust service, while children from Broughton Jewish Cassel Fox Primary School were visited by Jerusalem-born artist, Chava Erlanger who led an art workshop for the Year 6 pupils. Each pupil made a Star of David to be displayed at the Albion Academy in Salford for its Holocaust Memorial Day service.