Holocaust Memorial Day is marked in Lewisham

A special commemorative event for Holocaust Memorial Day took place on Sunday, January 27 in Lewisham, with more than 500 people in attendance to reflect on this year’s theme – ‘Torn from home’.

The theme set out by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust saw a young people’s production and speeches from local faith leaders, at the Broadway Theatre in Catford.

Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham, selected Liane Segall as Mayoress of Lewisham last May and she gave a moving speech about her own experiences as a Kindertransport refugee.

Eighty years ago, in 1939, Liane fled her home in Vienna on the Kindertransport to escape the Nazis when she was just seven years old.

After settling in Britain she attended Sydenham School and has been a longstanding campaigner against racism and anti-Semitism.

Mr Egan said: “Lewisham has a long history of welcoming people from across the world and fighting for equality.

The range of speakers from many different faiths and backgrounds at the service is testament to this.”

Speakers included Reverend David Rome, Catford Synagogue; Pritam Dhanjal, Sikh community representative; Rachel Levy, an Auschwitz survivor and Adam Abdullah, the Young Mayor of Lewisham.