First and deputy First Minister mark Holocaust Memorial Day at Belfast City Hall
First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly joined Holocaust survivor Janine Webber and hundreds of others at Belfast City Hall on Tuesday night (20 January) to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Holocaust Memorial Day is held annually on 27 January and marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Around 300 people gathered at the event, to participate in acts of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust and those impacted by the horrors of more recent genocides.
This year’s theme 'Bridging Generations', is a call-to-action. It encourages everyone to honour the lives lost and remember the unimaginable suffering caused by Nazi persecution. The theme emphasises the vital role of younger generations in safeguarding these memories.
As part of the event, Janine told her story of hiding under a wardrobe with her family as a child, losing both of her parents within months of each other by the age of nine and working on a farm and living in a convent under a false identity during the Second World War.
She said: “As a Holocaust survivor, I carry memories that must not be lost, and sharing my testimony is so important. This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day theme, Bridging Generations, reminds us that remembrance is a responsibility shared by us all. While young people carry these memories forward, every generation has a duty to listen, to learn and to act - so that these stories endure and help build a more humane world for generations to come.”
First Minister Michelle O'Neill said it is important to remember those who lost their lives as few survivors remain.
She added: “As we remember the Holocaust, we cannot turn away from what has happened since then and right up to the present day. We must pass the duty to speak up and speak out to the next generation so they can build a world where compassion and humanity prevail.”
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: “For remembrance to be meaningful, it must be more than an act of looking backward – it must also be an act of moral clarity about the world we are living in today so that we can create a better future where antisemitism has no place.”