Council hosts Holocaust memorial event

Mayor Neil Kelly opened the event which marked the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Guests heard further poignant messages from the Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim, James Perry MBE, contributions from Antrim Grammar School, Parkhall Integrated College and Integrated College Glengormley, alongside the keynote speaker Lu Lawrence, the daughter of Zigi Shipper BEM, who was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1930.

Zigi survived Auschwitz, Stutthof and two more concentration camps as well as a Death March. In the New Year Honours of 2016, Zigi was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Holocaust Education and Awareness. In 2017 he was invited to return to Stutthof, where he met and accompanied the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Zigi spent over 25 years tirelessly travelling up and down the UK telling his story in schools, colleges, universities and prisons. He once said: “There is nothing we can do about the past, but we can do a lot about the present and the future.”

He passed away on January 18, 1923 on his 93rd birthday, and now both his daughters have taken on the mantle of telling their father’s story.

Holocaust Memorial Day is held across the world each year on January 27.

Mayor Neil Kelly said: “I am honoured to reaffirm council’s commitment to remembering the Holocaust and ensuring that we continue to learn from the past to build an inclusive and peaceful society for all.

“I would encourage people to engage with the resources available through the Holocaust Memorial Trust and the Holocaust Education Trust.”

Further information on Holocaust Memorial Day can be found on The Holocaust Memorial Trust website at www.hmd.org.uk