Candles lit to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Candles were lit to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at a national event attended by school pupils from across the west of Scotland.

East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire councils organised an evening of music, poetry and survivor accounts on Monday, remembering the horror of the Holocaust and genocides since.

The event at Eastwood Park Theatre in Giffnock was held together with Interfaith Scotland, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and the Scottish Government, represented by Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell.

East Renfrewshire Provost councillor Jim Fletcher said: “We are home to Scotland’s largest Jewish population and enjoy a wonderful relationship with the Jewish community, so marking Holocaust Memorial Day every year is something extremely important to all of us.”

Renfrewshire Provost councillor Lorraine Cameron added: “This service ensures that the lessons of the past continue to be passed on and ensures the younger generation recognise the importance of marking the Holocaust.”

Among the speakers at the event was Martin Stern who was five years old when, in spring 1944, he was arrested with his younger sister by the Nazis in the Netherlands because their father was a Jew.

Ms Campbell said: “We must never forget the horrors of the Holocaust and other genocides around the world.

“They are a stark reminder of the inhumanity and violence that bigotry and intolerance can wreak when left unchallenged.

“As a government we are doing everything we can to build a Scotland where everyone can live free from fear of prejudice and discrimination.”