THE Mayor of Woking, Cllr Beryl Hunwicks, lit a candle yesterday with schoolchildren from Halstead School and representatives from Woking’s faith communities, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January).

A symbolic candle was lit by the Mayor to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

On 27 January 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, was liberated by Soviet troops.

During the ceremony, the Mayor read a specially written prayer by Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby; Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, and Senior Imam Qari Asim, which encourages communities to stand together to stop division and prevent the spread of hate in society.

Woking People of Faith Vice Chair, Phillip Goldenberg, also read the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer, during the ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by Mayor of Woking, Cllr Beryl Hunwicks, schoolchildren from Halstead School and Woking People of Faith member’s Simon Trick (Chair), Phillip Goldenberg (Vice Chair), Kerry Barry, Hilary Addison, Meeta Joshi and Dr Zafar Iqbal.

For the full story get the 30 January edition of the News & Mail