In Pictures: Warwick community gathers to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Residents and school pupils gathered at the Warwick War Memorial on January 27 to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.

This year’s theme was ‘Ordinary People’.

A poem with that title had been created by Year 9 pupils from King’s High School, and was read by El Liddington and Lulu Jasper.

Ben Khan and Polly O’Sullivan, A Level students from Aylesford School, also presented some reflections on the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ project they are studying, which includes a trip to the extermination camp in Poland.

Senior pupils from Myton School read ‘Never Shall I Forget’, a poem by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

Noah Saxton from Warwick School read the well-known poem by Pastor Niemoller, ‘First they came’ and younger children from Coten End School and All Saints School also attended the ceremony.

MP for Warwick and Leamington, Matt Western, also read a poem composed in the Terazin Ghetto by Pavel Friedmann.

Afterwards Mr Western said: “It was a privilege to be involved in this important event in the Warwick calendar.

"From small beginnings in 2001 it has grown over the years thanks to Dave Sternberg and all those involved in the organisation.

"At a time when there is so much prejudice, hatred and rising intolerance, we must all speak out.”

Prayers were led by Father Patrick Mileham from St Mary Immaculate Church in Warwick, and there were further readings by Liz Rogers-Mills, representing the Warwick Jewish Community.

The Mayor of Warwick, Cllr Parminder Singh Birdi, also laid a wreath bearing the message, ‘Thou shall not be a victim, thou shall not be a perpetrator, but above all, thou shall not be a bystander’, quoting the scholar Yehuda Bauer.

Later in the day, at the Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington, the Piatti Quartet performed works by two Czech composers who wrote the music in the Terezin ghetto near Prague before being transported to Auschwitz.

At Leamington Art Gallery, the director of Leamington Music, Richard Phillips, gave a talk about Terezin and its significance to music, while King’s High hosted a talk by Jane Curzon, the daughter of a holocaust survivor.

Organiser Dave Sternberg said: “It is wonderful to see how the Warwick and Leamington communities have come together to commemorate the Holocaust and to remember the other genocides that have happened since 1945, through prayer, poetry, music, art and education.

“Hopefully lessons will be learned, and we will remember the vital importance of tolerance and kindness in our lives.”

‘Ordinary People’ written by El, Lulu, Anaya and Amalie from the Inter Faith Council of pupils at King’s High School

Ordinary people living ordinary lives,

Ordinary babies crying ordinary cries,

Ordinary children playing ordinary games,

Ordinary teens with ordinary aims.

These ordinary people lived not so ordinary lives,

Separating and destroying children, husbands and wives,

Brainwashed by governments and regimes,

Ordinary people stealing ordinary dreams.

These ordinary people lived not so ordinary lives,

Being mistreated, discriminated against no chance to thrive,

To the outside world they may look alright,

But deep down inside they have surrendered their light.

But ordinary people can do extraordinary things,

Emancipating some; their life begins,

We remember all those affected especially today,

Here in Warwick on this Holocaust memorial day.