Here ATUC Vice-President, Kathleen Kennedy, who attended to represent the ATUC gives an account of a very moving event. With thanks to Norman Adams, Aberdeen City Council for the photographs.
"Holocaust Memorial Day marks the liberation from Auschwitz-Birkenau which was the Nazi's largest death camp. Having been there last year I can tell you it was large - almost as large as a small town!
This event was held downstairs in the Belmont cinema which was most appropriate as
we remember how many lost their lives and tried to hide from the Nazis.
Professor Tomasz Kawski spoke about how they found letters
in different metal containers written by prisoners in the Warsaw ghetto, which
had been hidden by the Germans instead of being sent to the addressees. These
have given invaluable insights into life within the camp.
Sammuel Oyewusi (Learning from Auschwitz student) gave a
talk about how he is discriminated against even in today's world. As just
recently when he was on a train come back to Aberdeen he spoke to a fellow
passenger and when the other passenger discovered he had gyspy background they
were very ruder to him - discrimination continues today but it must be stopped!
Following the speeches we watched the film Sarah's Key which
is a very powerful heartbreaking story about a Jewish family whose son hid and
wasn't found. Eventually his sister escaped Auschwitz and made her way back to
the house they lived in. She opened the cupboard only to find bones left - a
very moving powerful story!
WORDS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE - BOTH FOR GOOD AND EVIL"
