Lauriston Centre marks Holocaust Day with local school and award-winning writer

On 27 January, the Lauriston Jesuit Centre in Edinburgh marked the 2010 Holocaust Memorial Day, together with St Thomas of Aquin's School.  They hosted the showing of the film 'God on Trial' with an introduction by its writer, Frank Cottrell Boyce, and followed by a time of discussion with him.

This year, Holocaust Memorial Day marked the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on 27 January 1945.  On that day, Soviet soldiers found several thousand emaciated survivors and the smouldering remains of the gas chambers and crematoria - the Nazi attempt to destroy evidence of their crimes against humanity.  Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest Nazi killing camp, murdering approximately 1.1 million men, women and children.

'The camp has become a symbol of the horror of industrialised murder, and what can happen when hatred is left unchecked,' says Fr Chris Boles SJ, the Director of the Lauriston Centre. 'It is on the anniversary of the liberation of the camp that we commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, and take time to reflect on where we are now.'

The events portrayed in 'God on Trial' are not actual, rather apocryphal, but many have suggested that a trial of God such as this did indeed take place.  The Jewish novelist, holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel has said he witnessed such a trial himself.

Fr Boles says the involvement of the local school made a deep impression. 'The evening began with very moving and powerful testimonials from two pupils of St Thomas of Aquin's school who visited Auschwitz in October 2009, Stefan Ross, and Hannah Wade.  Then we were delighted that Frank Cottrell Boyce was with us for the evening.  He is a wonderful and wide-ranging writer of screen plays and novels.'

Frank Cottrell Boyce won the Carnegie Medal and was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Award for his children's story 'Millions' (also made into a film, and shown at the Centre in December 2009).  His other film credits include Welcome to Sarajevo, Hilary and Jackie and 24 Hour Party People.

Follow the link below to listen to the discussion.


 Lauriston Jesuit Centre