It is Holocaust Memorial Day today and it will be observed in Guernsey with a Service of Remembrance at The White Rock Memorial at midday.
Unlike past years there will be no Town Church service, with the main focus on the commemorations, led by the Very Reverend Tim Barker at the White Rock Memorial. These will observe the particular Guernsey element of Holocaust Memorial Day reflecting the history and reality of life in Guernsey and the unique experiences had by those affected on the island.
A 30 minute service at the memorial will include prayers and the laying of a wreath by the Bailiff to remember the slave workers who died in the islands during the Occupation. The service will then move to the memorial to the Guernsey Eight, with a moment of silence held there before a prayer of recollection and the laying of a second wreath by the Bailiff. The commemoration will conclude at the memorial to the three Jewish women, with a further silence in their honour as well as the mourners’ Kaddish, to be read by Mr Peters or another member of the Jewish community in Guernsey.
The commemorations will conclude with the laying of a third wreath by the Bailiff.
Pictured: The memorial to slave labourers at the White Rock, where the services will commence
Organised to remember the victims of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide both in Guernsey and around the world, the day serves to ensure that lessons are learned by future generations.
Whilst there is not a service at the Town Church to mark Holocaust Memorial Day this year, plans are already being developed for different styles of commemoration in 2019 and 2020 (the 75th anniversary).
Today's service is open to all islanders regardless of religious affiliation.
Main picture: Memorial to the three Jewish women deported from Guernsey during the Occupation
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