Rochdale hosts Holocaust Memorial Commemoration event

The borough marked Holocaust Memorial Day with its first in-person live event for three years, due to the pandemic.

Held at Middleton Arena, the event was attended by sixty people and featured readings, prayers and poetry to remember the six million Jewish people murdered in the Nazi genocide.  

Taking place annually, the memorial event is held in a different township of the borough each year, on or close to Holocaust Memorial Day, which is on January 27, the date on which the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau began in 1945.

This year’s service began with the rededication of the Middleton Holocaust Memorial Stone, which is in the Middleton Memorial Gardens at Rhodes.

A memorial Prayer,’Eil malei rachamim’, for victims was chanted in Hebrew, with English translation, by Rabbi Warren Elf of the Faith Network 4 Manchester.

The prayer asks that the victims “find the safety and rest denied them on earth beneath the shelter of Your (God’s) presence.“

This was followed by the Reverend Anne Gilbert, Vicar of Rochdale and Mayor’s Chaplain.

She offered prayers for the victims of the Holocaust, asking God to “Forgive us when we give space to fear, negativity and hatred of others, simply because they are different from us.”

Mayor of Rochdale Borough, Councillor Ali Ahmed also read a poem about the horrors of the Holocaust, where people were taken to the death camps and led into the gas chambers in great numbers.

The party then returned to Middleton Arena for the Act of Commemoration, where this year’s theme is Ordinary People.

Organiser Robin Parker also read his own moving poem, entitled ‘Genocide’, a reflection on the numbers of genocides which have been perpetrated both before and following the Holocaust.

He said: “As is tradition at this annual event, six candles were lit by representatives of community groups to remember and honour the six million Jews and millions of others murdered by the Nazi regime.

“This was followed by the observance of a Minute’s Silence.”

Holy Family RC & CE College, Heywood, along with three other local schools, were part of a UCL Beacon School Project in Holocaust Education in 2021 / 2022.

Two wooden sculptures in the shapes of flames of remembrance the pupils created were put on display.

During the event, two of the students gave an overview of some of their research which focused on the Death Marches.

They found heart-breaking stories and testimonies by survivors and learned about how ordinary people played a major role in helping to rescue others or others who were sometimes bystanders.

Also, five young people from Rochdale Youth Service gave examples of how it was ‘ordinary people’ who, in the Holocaust and other genocides have been the Persecutors, it was ‘ordinary people’ who suffered persecution.

Both of the Borough’s Members of Youth Parliament were in attendance. Henry Leahy for Rochdale and Pennines and Emilia Wakeman for Heywood and Middleton.

They read a poem about difference and gave a quote by the American poet and activist Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

There was also a video of a reading of the poignant “First they came”, the well-known poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller.

Following the recent passing of Zigi Shipper BEM on his 93 rd birthday on January 18 this year, a tribute was paid by Rabbi Warren Elf.

Zigi was a survivor of the Holocaust and in his later years was able to share testimony of what he suffered. Born in Lodz, he was placed in the ghetto there and later he was in a concentration camp and was then\ forced onto one of the Death Marches, eventually being liberated.

Another speaker on the day was Olga Kurtianyk, Chair of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Rochdale Branch.

She spoke of the ordinary people suffering due to the atrocities currently being inflicted on the people of Ukraine under the invasion by Russia.

A song for peace was sung by all, which was accompanied on solo violin by Katie Geelan, who also played reflective interludes throughout.

Councillor Neil Emmott led the reading of a Statement of Commitment, recognising that antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination still exist.

It pledges to continue to encourage Holocaust remembrance and to hold an annual Holocaust Memorial Day. Councillor Ashley Dearnley and Chief Executive, Steve Rumbelow also made the Statement of Commitment.

Robin added: "The Mayor, Councillor Ali Ahmed brought the event to a close by urging people that we should not just observe Holocaust Remembrance on one day per year but it should be remembered every single day.

“He reinforced that other genocides continue to be perpetrated in the world today and he offered his well wishes to the people of Ukraine and his hopes that Ukraine will remain on the world map.”

Next year’s event is due to take place in Littleborough.