Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorated in Fermanagh and Omagh

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) was marked on 27 January across Fermanagh and Omagh, remembering the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, the millions of others killed under Nazi persecution, and victims of later genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

For over two decades, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, through Museum Services and Good Relations, has organised Holocaust Memorial Day events in Enniskillen and Omagh, recognising the importance of survivor testimony in acknowledging the past. As the number of survivors has diminished, organisations such as ‘Generation 2 Generation’ have continued this work through family members.

This year, the Council hosted Mr Seymour Kelly from Generation 2 Generation, who shared the story of his mother, Lushka Kelly (née Klapholz), with audiences across the District. Four hundred students from ten schools, along with members of the public, attended three talks. Through recorded testimony and personal reflections, Seymour described his mother’s experiences before, during and after the Holocaust, conveying a powerful message of resilience and hope.

Seymour’s mother, Lushka Kelly (née Klapholz), was born in 1923 in a small village in southern Poland. One of five children, she led an Orthodox Jewish life while being well integrated into Polish society. Through excerpts from a recorded testimony she made in 1992, Seymour introduced audiences to his mother’s experiences before, during and after the Holocaust.

Lushka described family life before the war, the Nazi occupation of her village in 1939, and her family’s forced relocation to a ghetto in nearby Sucha. She recounted the traumatic day when she and her siblings were separated from their parents and youngest brother, who were sent to extermination camps.

From 1942 until May 1945, Lushka and two of her sisters were subjected to slave labour in a series of spinning and munitions factories. After the war, the sisters returned to Poland where they were reunited with their surviving brother, before later travelling to England as part of a group of orphaned children.

Addressing the Holocaust Memorial Day Schools Event, Cllr Barry McElduff, Chairperson of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, remarked:

“This year’s theme, Bridging Generations, reminds us all that remembrance is a responsibility we all share.

By telling his mother Lushka’s story, Seymour Kelly helps to ensure the memory of the Holocaust is carried forward, challenging us to build a truly compassionate and inclusive society.”

Speaking at the events, Catherine Scott, Fermanagh County Museum, highlighted the importance of ongoing learning and commemoration. She explained that the Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 theme, Bridging Generations, emphasised the responsibility to carry survivors’ stories forward, ensuring remembrance continues through future generations.

The events which were funded by were funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council through The Executive Office District Council Good Relations Programme encouraged attendees to listen, learn and reflect, building a bridge between memory and action, and between history and hope.