Members of Cornwall’s Jewish community were joined by local dignitaries at Truro Cathedral to light candles on Monday’s Holocaust Memorial Day, which also marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi's largest concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.

The annual event remembers more than six million Jews and the millions of other people killed by the Nazi regime, as well as victims of other genocides.

Local community groups representing those who have faced prejudice and persecution manned stalls and information inside the cathedral, alongside employers calling for zero tolerance of discrimination and hate crime. These include Cornwall’s Jewish community Kehillat Kernow, as well as Cornwall Pride, transgender and non-binary support group Transparent Presence, Black Voices Cornwall, TravellerSpace, Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police.

Led by Canon Alan Bashforth, the service on the theme of For a Better Future began at midday and included a video message from lawyer and television presenter Rob Rinder, whose Lithuanian grandfather Morris was one of the "Windermere children" who arrived in Cumbria after escaping the Holocaust.

Jeremy Jacobson, chair of Kehillat Kernow, was first to light six candles, each representing one million Jews who died in the Holocaust. The symbolism continued with dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Cornwall lighting further candles.

“It’s moving to see such an impressive turnout for the service,” said Mr Jacobson. “I have been coming to this service for the past 10 years, and I never seen so many people. The variety of the contributions was also notable – the contributions from students, and Rob Rinder’s address recorded especially for us.

“There is not much to be joyful about the Holocaust, but the fact so many of us have attended an event to remember those who died gives me a positive feeling of hope.”

Charlotte Lane from educational project Cornish Stories of Survival introduced Cynthia Hollinsworth from Carbis Bay and Bernie Graham from Plymouth, both descendants of Holocaust survivors. At times tearful, Cynthia mother recounted how her mother Blanka had emerged from concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau, while Bernie’s father arrived in England from Gdansk via Kindertransport. Both lost many family members in the camps.

Bernie asked the congregation to “learn from the past and lead by example, showing kindness, love, tolerance and acceptance”.

Further speakers included James Vaughan, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police and Naeem Ahmad, chapter president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK in Devon and Cornwall. Truro-based Mr Ahmad told the congregation how he visited Auschwitz last summer.

“I’m here today to learn, remember and take action,” he said, adding that schools should be obliged to engage with the Holocaust Memorial Trust. “In Poland, children over the age of 15 visit a death camp. It’s not a logistical nightmare for our children to come to Truro Cathedral once a year.”

The service also featured music and poetry readings by Truro School students, and artwork by students from Camborne Science and International Academy and Penryn College.