An exhibition is being held at Brentwood Town Hall to remember the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides.

The Brentwood Council-backed event is being held as part of International Holocaust Remembrance Day today.

The display gives visitors the chance to explore the background to the Holocaust and learn about the lives of people caught up in those tragic events, their survival stories and their subsequent return to life.

The exhibition has been organised by the Christian Friends of Israel (Essex) and Tikvah Chadasha Synagogue (Shenfield & Brentwood) and takes place on the ground floor of the Town Hall (through the green doors), in Ingrave Road, until 4.30pm today and from 9.30am to 1pm tomorrow.

It includes interactive sessions for school groups and yesterday’s visitors had the opportunity to hear the personal story of Edgar Guest, a Hungarian Jew who recalled episodes from his boyhood during The Holocaust.

Tomorrow in the Main Hall of Brentwood County High School at 6.30pm you can hear Rudi, a German Jew, who will share his story of moving to Holland from Berlin with his family, before going to the transit camp of Westerbork following the invasion of the Netherlands, and then to Bergen-Belsen where his parents died. Eventually he and his siblings moved to Britain. The talk will be followed by an Act of Commemoration for the six million victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

Mayor of Brentwood, Councillor Noelle Hones, said: "Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to pause and remember the millions of victims of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and the subsequent genocides. This exhibition enables us to reflect upon these atrocities and join together to show our solidarity in combating discrimination, racism and hatred.

Organiser Moira Dare-Edwards said: "This is yet again another opportunity to commemorate those lives that were lost in the Holocaust. It is important to educate children, young people and adults about what happens when people are apathetic to their neighbours' sufferings at the hands of their persecutors. As Edmund Burke said 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing'."

There is free admission to all the events, but donations are welcome.

For more information visit http://hmd.org.uk/