Portishead Marks Holocaust Memorial Day

Portishead residents and local leaders gathered to mark Holocaust Memorial Day with a series of moving events focused on remembrance, learning and standing against hatred.

Town Council chair Paul Gardner and vice-chair Mike Johnston attended a commemorative event hosted by the North Somerset Holocaust Memorial Day Trust at the Portishead Youth and Community Centre. This year’s national theme, “Bridging Generations,” guided an afternoon of reflection on how lessons from the past must be passed on to future generations.

The event featured a powerful address from Tom Leimdorfer, a Portishead resident and child survivor of the Holocaust in Budapest, whose personal testimony highlighted the human cost of persecution and the enduring importance of remembrance.

Paul Gardner also presented first prize in the over-16s Holocaust Memorial Day photo competition to Weston College student Cameron Neilson-Pritchard, whose thoughtful entry impressed judges and reflected the spirit of this year’s theme.

Holocaust Memorial Day, observed on 27^th January, marked two significant anniversaries this year: 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and 30 years since the Bosnian genocide. Local commemorations also included a service of reflection at the Holocaust Tree at the Lake Grounds.