Whitley Bay children join guests marking Holocaust Memorial Day

Children from a Whitley Bay primary school joined others from across the region for a special remembrance gathering to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Organised by North Tyneside Council, the event included speakers, music and was attended by members of the local Jewish community as well as dignitaries and guests.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s theme for this year was ‘For A Better Future’ and pupils from three primary and six secondary schools attended the service held in the council chambers.

The four Year 5 children from Star of the Sea Catholic Primary performed readings and prayers at Friday’s (24) service, ahead of HMD which was marked nationally on Monday (27).

Children also had the opportunity to show some of their artwork which was created during class to commemorate the occasion. 

“The children watched the event, watched drama performances, listened to experiences of visitors’ to Auschwitz, listened to poems, readings, first-hand accounts of Holocaust survivors, and then read prayers of their own,” said Ruth Hodgkins, Year 5 Teacher at Star of the Sea, which is part of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust.

The school is a regular participant in the annual event, which was also attended by fellow BBCET member St Thomas More Catholic High School.

“We have taken part four times previously, and each year has a different theme,” continued Mrs Hodgkins, whose role as Holocaust Memorial Event Co-ordinator sees her organise the school’s involvement.

“At Star of the Sea, we believe that participating in Holocaust memorial events is deeply important for our pupils, as it helps foster understanding, empathy, and awareness about the significance of human rights and tolerance,” she added.

“By learning about the Holocaust, they gain an understanding of the impact of hatred, prejudice and discrimination. They understand the true importance of kindness, tolerance, and understanding, all while remembering the importance of preventing such events in the future.”

This year’s HMD marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by Russian troops towards the end of World War Two. It also commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Bosnia ‘ethnic cleansing’ atrocities.