Watch as daughter of Holocaust survivor leads Memorial Day service at Sunderland Minster

The global event is a day of remembrance for the six million Jewish people, including one-and-a-half million children, who were persecuted by the Nazis during World War Two as well as those who perished during other subsequent acts of genocide.

The event, which is organised by the Sunderland Interfaith Forum (SIF), has been running for 10 years but this is the first time it has returned after two years, following the Covid pandemic.

The emotional service was led by SIF Co-chair, Reverend Chris Howson who said: “This is one of the most important events of our year in ensuring the horrific events of the Holocaust is not lost for future generations. The service is our way of promoting a culture of peace.”

The ceremony was opened by Redby Academy with the children singing moving renditions of ‘Imagine’, by John Lennon, and a ‘Wonderful World’, by Louis Armstrong.

Reverend Howson added: “The generation of the Holocaust and WWII are now sadly passing and it’s vital we use these opportunities to educate these children.”

A key figure in the organisation service was 87-year-old Tony Wortman, who’s part of the city’s “small Jewish community”.

Tony, who revealed to the congregation his pledges to eradicate prejudice, said: “Tonight’s theme is ordinary people and how they can make a difference to the world. Lessons have still not been learned and there’s still a long way to go.”

Tony was determined the ceremony should also mark the millions of people killed in subsequent acts of genocide and the service included speakers who spoke movingly about the prejudicial persecutions in Rwanda, Cambodia and Bosnia.

However, the main speaker of the night was Jeanette Marx, who captivated the congregation as she recounted the Holocaust experience of her mother, Mascha Nachamansson.

Mascha, who was from Poland, “survived the Holocaust by chance”. She lived in the city of Lodz and after Poland was invaded in 1940 she was forced to live in horrific conditions in a Nazi ghetto before being imprisoned and transported to the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.

In 1945 she was freed and transferred to Sweden, after a deal was made with one of Hitler’s generals who was “looking to save his own skin as he knew the Nazis were facing defeat”.

Mascha used to speak to people about her experience, but after passing away in 2012, daughter Jeanette, 74, has taken on the mantle.

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She said: “I speak about my mother’s experience as a tribute to the work she did but it’s also important to continue to tell the story and learn lessons from the past.

"There’s still prejudice in the world. The Holocaust started with the racism and intolerance, which we still see today, and ended with mass murder. You can see what is happening at the moment with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the language Putin is using, how easy it is for people to be swayed.”

As a City of Sanctuary, the service was also attended by the Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Alison Smith.

She said: “The city is delighted to be part of this memorial and it’s essential we remember such events and educate people so they hopefully don’t happen again.”