The leader of Trafford Council has called on residents to make the ordinary special to honour the victims of the Holocaust.
At an event commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day, Cllr Tom Ross, praised students, volunteers and community and religious leaders for their poignant reflections.
The event on Thursday at Sale Waterside Theatre, saw drama, prayers, and narrations of stories, as well as a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the victims of genocide. Students from Stretford Grammar, Wellington, Lostock and Springfield schools took part in the commemoration, along with GMP and Trafford Mayor Cllr Chris Boyes.
Reflections were led by rabbis from South Manchester, Sharei Hayim and Hale and District synagogues.
This year’s theme of Holocaust Memorial Day is ordinary people – the people who turned a blind eye and allowed genocide to happen – and the ordinary people who resisted, rescued and stood up for victims.
In his closing remarks, Cllr Ross said:
“Holocaust Memorial Day is about us coming together to learn more about the past and taking action to create a safer future.
“So, let us make sure that the ordinary things we do in our everyday life are worthy and are meaningful. Who can we smile at today? Who can we help? Who can we thank? Who can we be friends to? Who can we love? Ordinary things that can mean so much.
“To me, these are among the most powerful things we can do to honour the victims of genocide. Let us create a better community, a better borough, a better country, a better world. Let’s make ordinary actions special.”
As well as the event, Trafford Town Hall will be lit up on Friday to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
The day calls on people to remember the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Posted on Friday 27th January 2023