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Guernsey Remembers Holocaust Victims
27 Jan
Summary
- Service honors Holocaust and other genocide victims.
- Wreaths laid at White Rock for Guernsey Eight and foreign workers.
- Theme 'Bridging Generations' encourages learning from the past.
Islanders are invited to a service commemorating victims of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide. On Tuesday, wreaths will be dedicated and laid at the White Rock at 13:00 GMT, honoring three Jewish women, the Guernsey Eight, and foreign workers who endured forced labor during the German Occupation.
The States highlighted that Holocaust Memorial Day seeks to unite people from all backgrounds, fostering understanding of the Holocaust and more recent genocides for a brighter future. Reverend Justin Taylor, leading the service, noted the 2026 theme, 'Bridging Generations,' which urges islanders to actively engage with historical memory and carry forward its lessons. He emphasized honoring Jewish victims, including those whose suffering is part of Guernsey's wartime history, to prevent history from repeating.
The service also reflects on the deportation of three Jewish women from Guernsey who perished at Auschwitz, and the deaths of the Guernsey Eight in camps or prisons due to the Nazi occupation. The plight of foreign workers, compelled to build defenses as part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall, will also be remembered. Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, President for the Policy and Resources Committee, stated the event is an opportunity to contemplate not only the Holocaust but also other genocides. She recalled recent antisemitic attacks, stressing the importance of educating future generations against insensitivity to suffering caused by hostility and prejudice.
