Standing together at a moving annual service in St Annes to remember the Holocaust

Folk stood together at a most moving memorial service - held at St Annes Synagoue - to remember those who suffered in the Holocaust.
Guest speaker Trude SilmanGuest speaker Trude Silman
Guest speaker Trude Silman

This was the fourth successive Annual Holocaust Memorial Day service at the Orchard Road synagogue.

The theme this year was 'Stand Together'.

And organisers said they were "overwhelmed" with the support the event received on the day.

Schoolchildren perform at the eventSchoolchildren perform at the event
Schoolchildren perform at the event
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"It was standing room only. There were 230 in the packed hall in the synagogue," said Michelle Morris.

"It was just incredible - we were just overwhelmed."

The guest speaker was Trude Silman. 90, who remembered being sent home early from school in March 1939, when the Nazis invaded Slovakia.

Synagogue Rabbi Danny Bergson led memorial prayers and there were numerous representatives from inter-faiths who spoke.

The Holocaust Memorial ServiceThe Holocaust Memorial Service
The Holocaust Memorial Service

Representatives from local schools attended.

They came from St Mary's Catholic School, Blackpool; Montgomery High, Blackpool; The Willows Catholic Primary, Kirkham; AKS, Lytham; Hodgson Academy, Poulton-le-Fylde.

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Dignitaries who attended included the Mayor of Fylde and the High Sheriff of Lancashire, and Fylde and Blackpool councillors.

"Just talking to people after, they felt it was a very moving service," said Michelle.

Guests at the serviceGuests at the service
Guests at the service

"It was very poignant with what has been going on - with the rise in hate crime recently."

She said the theme of Stand Together was "quite poignant" at the service . . . "everybody is standing together".

She added: "I think that the was the message that came across."