Catherine Howard, Religious Studies Teacher at Wilmslow High School, and pupil Helen Oakes joined a Holocaust survivor and people from across Cheshire East to remember and reflect upon some of the most terrible events in recorded history.
Cheshire East Council invited Jack Aizenberg to be a guest speaker at the event to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day on the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Mr Aizenberg described his harrowing experiences at Buchenwald and Theresienstadt camps and how he was among only 60 inmates from 600 to survive a death march. He was liberated in May 1945 but lost his mother, father and brother in the atrocities.
Pupils and teachers from local schools joined members of community groups from across the area for the event at Macclesfield Town Hall.
Catherine Howard recalled her visit to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, the world centre for research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust and Wilmslow High School pupil Helen Oakes gave her experiences of a recent visit to Auschwitz.
Cheshire East Mayor Margaret Simon said: “The experiences of the survivors were terrible to listen to but it is vitally important for people to understand what happened in the Holocaust, so that they can prevent the same terrible things ever happening again.”
“We must all share the difficult responsibility for getting that message across.”
Photo Caption: Commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day are (left to right) Tania Nelson, daughter of a holocaust survivor, Helen Oakes of Wilmslow High School, John Weeks, Strategic Director of People for Cheshire East Council, Cheshire East Mayor Margaret Simon, Catherine Howard of Wilmslow High School and Jack Aizenberg, camp survivor.
