220 people crammed into Richmond Synagogue for our annual event, in memory of those murdered in the Holocaust. Civic guests included the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, MP, Leader of the Council, many Councillors and local Church and inter faith representatives
The guest speaker, Mala Tribich, described her experiences, living in the first Ghetto established in Poland, working as a slave labourer in Ravensbrook and spending time in Bergen Belsen before being liberated by the British army. She was moved on to Sweden for two years before being reunited with her brother, the late Sir Ben Helfgott, and moving to England. It was a privilege to listen to her story.
Six members of the Bar/Batmitvah class, who had been twinned via Yad Vashem, with young people who were murdered spoke briefly and movingly about their short lives and poem about the Cambodian genocide was read by a teenager.
Rabbi Golker, recently returned from Israel on a Rabbinic mission, spoke of his experiences and despite the horrors, of the sense of unity, mutual support and hope for the future
Very moving Holocaust songs and Jewish music were provided by Steve Levi, Yael Reiss and Bogdan Vacarescu.
By Keren Menashe
