Last night I had the honour of playing a very small part in Bury’s Holocaust Memorial Service. The service took place on Holocaust Memorial Day, the anniversary of the date of the liberation of Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Representatives of the three political parties on Bury Council each signed a commitment on the Day, as we have done for each of the nine years that Bury has organised a service on the day.

As always, school students from a number of different schools across Bury had worked together to put on a very memorable and moving service. My biggest memory from this year’s service will be story, retold by local school students of a survivor of the Holocaust in Poland, who was with us last night in Bury. We also had musical accompaniment from members of the Bury Music Service Wind Quintet and Bury’s Young Voices.

The students also looked at some of the hatred in todays society, linking to this year’s theme for Holocaust Memorial Day – “Stand up to Hatred”.

“Stand up to hatred means not allowing others to intimidate me
Stand up to hatred means making the society we live in a better place
Stand up to hatred means to tell a teacher if I am bullied
Stand up to hatred means having the courage to stand up for what is right

Stand up to hatred means helping people if you see someone excluded
Stand up to hatred means stopping friends saying hateful comments about others
Stand up to hatred means getting to know people before judging them
Stand up to hatred means believing that this evil emotion shouldn’t exist

Stand up to hatred means allowing other people to join the community
Stand up to hatred means doing the right thing even if it involves personal sacrifice
Stand up to hatred means protecting human rights
Stand up to hatred means standing up even if you are standing alone”

More information on Holocaust Memorial Day can be found here, where you can light an online candle.