Special guests included a Rwandan survivor who spoke about his ordeal

Hundreds of people honoured the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides at special ceremony yesterday (Sunday).

The interfaith event at Brent Town Hall which was held to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day included musical performances from the London Cantorial Singers and Kensal Rise Primary School Ethnic Contemporary Classical Orchestra.

This years theme of “Speak Up, Speak Out” saw Rwandan survivor, Ndiho Sean Obedih, give a moving talk about his experience during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 as did Rabbi Frank Dabba Smith who spoke about Ernst Leitz, a German camera entrepreneur who helped the persecuted during the Holocaust.

Shahrar Ali, Green Party London Assembly candidate for Brent and Harrow, attended the event, he said: “Whilst enjoying, as a borough, the most diverse society in the country this was a perfect place to demonstrate the inclusive purpose of the Memorial Day, which has sometimes become unduly politicised.”

After the ceremony visitors viewed a special exhibition by Rev Gershon Glausiusz, a former inmate of the Bergen-Belsen camp.

Cllr Aslam Choudry, Mayor of Brent, who introduced the event, said: “It was a very moving ceremony and I would like to thank everyone who attended today.

“It was humbling and uplifting to see the cultural and generational mix of Brent residents, come together to remember victims of these past tragedies and to understand the importance of speaking up and out.”

Holocaust Memorial Day is this Friday (27).

For further information on Brent’s Holocaust Memorial programme, visit www.brent.gov.uk/bhmd.

Pictures by Jonathan Goldberg