Brussels volunteers make the memory of Holocaust victims shine

VVOLUNTEERS TURNED OUT on the streets of Brussels to clean commemorative plaques for Holocaust Remembrance Day.

A group calling itself ‘Making Their Memory Shine’ organised the teams to polish the ‘Stolperstine’ (‘Stumbling Stones’). There are 458 of the memorials across the Belgian capital.

Each consists of a 10-centimetre concrete cube laid in the ground with a brass plate inscribed with the name and dates of birth and death of a victim.

Approximately 90,000 have been laid across Europe since 1992.

Most are set outside the last chosen place of residence or work of the victim.

The student-led “Make Their Memory Shine” campaign aims to create grassroots cross-cultural interaction to increase education, discussion and awareness of the Holocaust. A 2018 survey revealed that 34 per cent of Europeans surveyed knew just a little or had never heard of the Holocaust.

Writing on Instagram the group asked for “kind-hearted humans who wish to volunteer to clean at any moment of the day,” adding: “On April 27th [Holocaust Commemoration Day or Yom Hashoah], we aim to commemorate, educate and volunteer in a unique proactive manner that involves all citizens of Brussels.

“Whether you clean one stone in five min, or, you clean a dozen in an hour, all help is appreciated and you make an incredible impact.” The campaign has the support of the European Jewish

There are 458 plaques across the city for Jews murdered by the Nazis

Association, which provided basic cleaning kits for the operation, as well as non-partisan education organisation StandWithUs, the European Jewish Community Centre, and other institutions.

The Jewish Museum of Belgium held an event marking the effort featuring Brussels Mayor Philippe Close, ‘Roma Dignity’ President Costel Nastasie, and Holocaust survivor and President of the

Forum of Jewish Organisations in Antwerp, Régine Suchowolski-Sluszny..

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, President of the European Jewish Association and student organiser Ethan Bergman also took part.

PHOTO: EUROPEAN JEWISH PRESS Community: Student Ethan Bergman (far left), Rabbi Margolin, Ms Suchowski--Sluszny and Mayor Close

Keeping the memory alive: Plaques for victims on streets of Brussels