School News

JFS Hosts Second Annual Brent Holocaust Memorial Day Seminar

JFS were proud to organise and hosta seminar for all Brent schools which was held at JFS for the second consecutive year on Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2010. Groups of 30 students from 6 Brent schools were able to spend the day learning together about the Holocaust and reflecting on the lessons that they could learn.

Oranised by the Jewish Informal Education Department (JiEP) together with the Religious Education Coordinator for Brent, the Seminar enabled students to take part in a range of interactive sessions. As well as hearing a first hand account from Mrs Renee Salt who survived the Holocaust and whose Grandson recently graduated from JFS, students were also addressed by Ray Hill a former BNP member about the rising threat of nationalism in the UK today. A group of JFS Sixth Form students who have recently returned from a Holocaust Studies Tour of Poland ran a session looking at the moral dilemas of post-Holocaust life before students embarked on a creative poetry writing exercise together with poet 'Beyonda'.

JFS Year 10 Student Mathew Polden said “I found the day really inspirational. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to meet with our counterparts from the local schools and to participate in such a positive programme. There was so much that each of us took out of the experience in terms of the personal responsibility we each have to stand up to hatred and work for a more tolerant and respectful society. It also made me really proud that this event was organised and hosted by my school.”

The 6 schools involved were Capital City Academy, Cardinal Hinsley, Kingsbury High School, JFS, Preston Manor High School and St Gregory's School.