Holocaust Memorial Event

The event featured screenings of feature films on the Holocaust, readings about those affected by the Holocaust and contributions from West Lothian secondary school pupils.

The ceremony ended with pupils laying a stone at a memorial tree which is planted at Howden Park Centre.  The pupils found it very interesting that a stone is laid as a sign of remembrance.  Within the Jewish faith, it is customary to leave a small stone on the grave. The visitor positions the stone on the grave using his or her left hand. Placing a stone on the grave serves as a sign to others that someone has visited the grave. It also enables visitors to partake in the mitzvah tradition of commemorating the burial and the deceased. Stones are fitting symbols of the lasting presence of the deceased's life and memory.