European churches to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

A record number of local churches in Europe are expected to commemorate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday 27 January 2008.

The Remembrance Day, which was initiated by the European Parliament in 2000 and supported by a declaration of the United Nations in 2005, was first introduced to church communities in Europe a year ago by the European Coalition for Israel.

The coalition brings together organisations and churches seeking to foster better relations between Europe and Israel, and commemorate the Holocaust as well as inform people of new forms of anti-Semitism.

At the main event in Brussels last year European Commissioner for Culture and Youth Jan Figel spoke about the need for the younger generations in Europe to learn about the Holocaust.

This year, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering is scheduled to address parliamentarians, diplomats and church leaders at the Brussels event.

In addition, organisers hope to inspire over 1000 churches across Europe to commemorate the Holocaust day in their Sunday service on January 27.

European director of Youth with a Mission, Jeff Fountain, said, "The Holocaust was a defining phase in Europe's modern history, and its commemoration remains a crucial reminder of what can happen in Europe when we stray from our Judeo-Christian foundations."

Over the last few months entire denominations in countries such as Finland, the UK, Germany and Ukraine have decided to support the initiative, said Tomas Sandell, who is the main coordinator of the campaign and the founding director of European Coalition for Israel.

Christian leaders behind the campaign include Colin Dye of Kensington Temple in London, the Orthodox Archbishop of Ukraine and a representative of the Roman-Catholic Cardinal of Vienna.

One of the main objectives of the campaign is to explore what the consequences could be if Christians fail to speak up against "the evil of our time", said Sandell. One particular issue which is raised in the campaign material is the need for Christians to react differently today when the Jewish nation is threatened with annihilation.

The organisers hope that the campaign will teach and inspire Christians in Europe to speak up against any form of evil or genocide.

"The atrocities of the Nazis started with the Jews but it did not stop there. The same pattern can be seen today with those forces who once again wish to eliminate the Jewish people," said Sandell.

The campaign is non-political and includes churches and civic groups from a variety of backgrounds.

Churches interested in participating can register at www.learnfromhistory.eu, which is also updated with various educational resources.