UNIC Canberra, in partnership with Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin, ACT Jewish Community and United Nations Association of Australia held a commemorative event at the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell, Lennox Gardens on 27 January, this year.
The order of proceeding included speeches by Ms Karen Tatz, President of the Australian Capital Territory Jewish Community and Mr Chris Cantor, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Israel.
Following this and at the start of the second part of the event, Mr Adrian Edwards, Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) read the United Nations Secretary-General’s message which in part noted, " We must never forget – nor allow others to ever forget, distort or deny the Holocaust."
Six white roses were then individually placed in commemorative vases beside the Peace Bell in memory of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust by Ms Tara Cheyne, MLA, Minister for Multicultural Affairs of the ACT, Mr Chris Cantor, Deputy Head of Mission from the Embassy of Israel, Mr Adrian Edwards, Regional Representative UNHCR, Ms Andrea Conti, President of the Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin, Mr Andreas Radtke, Chargé d’Affaires from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ms Karen Tatz President of ACT Jewish Community accompanied by two young students, Eva and Daphne Maitless.
Musical pieces from “Schindler's List” and “Song of Hope” were played at the beginning and the end of the event by Mr Ilya Isakovich violinist from the Australian Chamber Orchestra that set the scene for the striking of the Peace Bell and the minute of silence observation at the event’s conclusion.