Holocaust Memorial Day

On Friday a group of Year 9 students attended the Dorchester Holocaust Memorial Day held at the Corn Exchange. The afternoon service included a range of different speakers and talks to commemorate the six million Jewish people and other groups who were murdered . The event had a particular focus on the poignant marking of eighty years since the liberation of Auschwitz. The title was called 'For a Better Future'.

During the service there were contributions from an eclectic range of local schools including Sunninghill, Dorchester Middle School and Thomas Hardye. Serafina Christos (Year 9, Wey Valley) delivered a moving poem called 'Colours' and this was imbued with a deep sense of pathos. As the service progressed we were informed regarding the ten stages of genocide and then a daughter of a victim from the Holocaust , Lorna Brunstein, gave a moving talk via film regarding her experiences.

It was clear from the event that other groups of people perished in the Holocaust also including the Gypsy and Traveller, LGBTQ+ and the disability communities. Serafina Christos said 'my reading today was important to represent those voices who were silenced during the Holocaust'. Mark Chutter, Head of Performing Arts, said 'this event was critical for our students to attend to remember and to never forget the mass genocide that ensued under a dictatorship'.

Click here to watch a recording of this event