Candle lit by survivors keeps Holocaust memories alive

The event today, hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds David Congreve, came two days before Holocaust Memorial Day which this year marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the German-run Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.

The candle, one of 70 used at services across the country, was lit by holocaust survivors Iby Knill and Arek Hersch, along with Lilian Black from the Holocaust Survivor’s Friendship Association.

The event featured the singing of a traditional Hebrew memorial prayer.

Other highlights include an exhibition by Pyramid of Arts, a theatre performance by young people from Escape Contemporary Youth Theatre and a keynote speech by Adam Strickson, teaching fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Leeds. The University of Leeds’s German department is also presenting an exhibition in partnership with the National Holocaust Centre (UK).

Mr Congreave said: “With 2015 also being the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, it is more important than ever to keep the memory of what happened in the Holocaust alive for future generations.”