Last Monday, the 27th of January, Shelley Dring and John Sherbourne had the great privilege of representing Moortown Baptist Church at a special assembly at Leeds Jewish Free School to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.
The 45 minute service, held exactly 80 years on from the date in 1945 that Russian troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi death camps, was a hard hitting yet poignant reminder of the evils of hatred, which not only led to more than 6 million Jewish men, Jewish women and Jewish children being exterminated, but also to the brutal massacre of hundreds of thousands of Roma, Slavic and black people, homosexuals and those with a physical or mental illness.
By contrast, however, through the simple act of lighting candles, and the fine use of poetry, prose and prayer the service delivered a palpable feeling of optimism and hope.
Besides Shelley and John from Moortown, the event was attended by the the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Marshall Katung, and representatives from many community and faith groups.
The fact that MBC was invited to take part in such a meaningful event is yet further evidence of our standing in the community. That’s why I have no hesitation in saying that for Shelley and I to stand alongside the Lord Mayor, rabbis from a number of local synagogues, members of both the LJHB and the LJWB, representatives from West Yorkshire police and the leaders of other religious traditions, and then to be invited to light a candle and share a prayer with the entire Leeds Jewish Free School family really was very special.