A UK funeral is to be held for six people murdered in Auschwitz

It has been announced today (10 January 2019) that a funeral will take place for remains and ashes believed to be of six individuals (five adults and one child) who were murdered at Auschwitz. The Office of the Chief Rabbi were made aware that the remains were in the care of the Imperial War Museum, and a funeral will be held on 20 January 2019 at 11am, at Bushey New Cemetery. You can read the notification to the community from the Chief Rabbi’s office here.

The Office of the Chief Rabbi have asked for the news to be circulated, particularly to survivors of the Holocaust, with special prevision being made for them at the funeral. 

Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said:

‘The burial of the ashes and remains of five adults and a child murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau is a deeply moving and rare moment.

‘In the last weeks and months of their lives, these individuals had their dignity and all respect stripped from them. We have an opportunity now, even after so many years, to give them a proper and dignified burial. We must not forget that these remains are of six individuals, who lived distinct and unique lives. We are able to honour them with the dignity and peace that was so brutally denied them in life.

‘Our thoughts at this time go to survivors of the Holocaust and their families – whose loved ones were murdered at Auschwitz and across Nazi-occupied Europe.’