The Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Mark Lygo, hosted an online service of reflection to mark Holocaust Memorial Day yesterday.

The theme of the service, which was attended by local councillors and faith leaders plus Oxford East MP Annaliese Dodds, was “Be the light in the darkness”.

Every year January 27 is set aside to remember the millions of  people who were murdered in the Holocaust and the genocides that have followed around the world.

The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

The service opened with chairman of Oxfordshire County Council councillor Les Sibley reading the haunting poem Fear by Eva Pickova. A prayer was then said by Jawaid Malik JP, vice chair of the Oxford Council of Faiths.

Ms Dodds read We Remember Them by Sylvan Kamens and Rabbi Jack Riemer which was followed by a reading of A Reflection for Holocaust Memorial Day by Penny Faust of the  Oxford Jewish congregation.

Ms Faust then lit a Yahrzeit (Yiddish for “a year’s time”) candle and there was a minute’s silence for reflection.

City Rector of Oxford the Reverend Anthony Buckley closed the service with a prayer.

The event, which would normally have been held at Oxford Town Hall, could be followed on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube.