The Holocaust Memorial Day service in Sandwell will feature a speech by the granddaughter of an Auschwitz victim.
Taking place in the Memorial Grounds at Highfields House this Friday, 27 January, former Sandwell mayor, Dr Ann Jaron, will be a keynote speaker.
Dr. Jaron’s Polish grandfather, Professor Marian Gieszczykiewicz, was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942, aged 53. He was shot by a Nazi officer, leaving his wife and two children behind.
Hundreds of services are taking place across the country on Friday as a remembrance to those who were scarred by the genocide. This particular day coincides with the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
The current Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Richard Jones, said: “It is important for us to remember horrific atrocities of the Holocaust and other genocides that have followed since. Remembering them inspires us to commit ourselves to standing up against discrimination and hatred and to speak out against identity-based persecution. Dr Jaron’s family was directly affected by the tragic reality of the Holocaust, and she has over the course of her life worked to ensure that such terrible tragedies are not a part of our future. We are honoured to have her as the keynote speaker at the memorial service, which everyone is welcome to attend.”
The service starts at 10.45am, with anyone wishing to attend requested to arrive 15 minutes earlier.