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In October 1999, the UK Government published a consultation paper proposing to establish a UK Holocaust Memorial Day, following the example of a number of other countries throughout the world. On 26 January 2000, Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister, and Jack Straw, UK Home Secretary, announced that there would be a Holocaust Memorial Day to be marked for the first time on 27 January 2001, the 56th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz death camp. Brian Wilson, then the Minister of State at the Scotland Office, announced his own welcome for the Day. The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities approached the Scottish Executive about what might be done in Scotland to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. At UK level it had become clear that the commemoration would be Government led, and it was agreed that a broadly similar approach should be adopted. In spring the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council invited the First Minister for Scotland, then Donald Dewar, and the Secretary of State for Scotland, then John Reid, to attend and speak at Yom HaShoah in May 2000, in the hope of giving these Ministers some insight into how the commemoration of the Holocaust could be tastefully and effectively done. In his Yom HaShoah speech, Donald Dewar announced that an education pack for primary 6 and 7 pupils in Scotland was being commissioned, with the aim of introducing them to the Holocaust. The City of Edinburgh Council was hosting the Anne Frank Exhibition in January 2001, and the Council expressed an interest in organising a keynote event on 27 January linked to the Exhibition. By May 2000 it had been agreed in principle that the national event would be based around Edinburgh's hosting of the Anne Frank Exhibition. Officials of the Scotland Office, the Scottish Executive and the City Council planned the ceremony which was jointly hosted by all three bodies. The Scottish Ceremony was held in January 2001 at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh. The programme included words and music specially written for the occasion, with a personal contribution by the Reverend Ernest Levy, a Holocaust survivor, of a reading from his memoirs, One More Dance. The programme concluded with the reading of the Seven Statement of Commitment from the Stockholm Declaration, accompanied by the lighting of seven candles. The Government was represented by the First Minister for Scotland, Henry McLeish and the Secretary of State for Scotland, Helen Liddell. Lord Provost, Eric Milligan and Leader of the Council, Donald Anderson, represented the City of Edinburgh Council. |