Hundreds were reminded not to be afraid of remembering the horrors of the past during a service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The service, which took place at Middlesex University’s Rickett Quadrangle in The Burroughs, Hendon, marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the 20th anniversary of the genocide at Srebrenica, Bosnia.

Music was provided by the Firebird Orchestra, a quintet from Middlesex University, and The Alyth Youth Singers and the London Cantorial Singers.

Focusing on this year’s theme of ‘Keep the Memory Alive’, a range of speakers explained the importance of commemorating the millions who were killed.

The Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Hugh Rayner, spoke of how important the Holocaust was in world history.

He said: “It becomes difficult to retain the impact of the message, and the fear of it happening again diminishes. It’s a great challenge to make it meaningful to today’s generation, but we must succeed.

“It’s our job to remind people not to be afraid of remembering the horrors of the past.”

Students from St James’s Catholic High School, in Great Strand, Colindale, spoke about a recent school visit to Auschwitz concentration camp.

Holly O’Gorman, a pupil at St James’s, said: “Everything was dark and lifeless. What had me was the amount of belongings. These all once belonged to someone, perhaps a mother, father, daughter or son.

“If we don’t remember the mistakes we have made as a human race, how can we prevent such atrocities happening again?”

The service also had speeches from Professor Brad Blitz, an international politics professor at Middlesex University, who spoke about how the Holocaust was “a landmark of brutality” in history.

Joseph Stoll, a Middlesex law student and UK campus director of StandWithUs, an international organisation that combats anti-Semitism, spoke about the importance of remembrance.

He said: “Time will not stand still. Those great survivors will not be here to tell their stories. The responsibility is on our shoulders to keep the memory alive, and to remember society is capable of the greatest evil.”

Leader of Barnet Council Councillor Richard Cornelius reflected on the recent terror attacks in Paris. He said: “We can imagine the heightened fear and tension in the French Jewish community. France may have the biggest Jewish population in Europe, but Barnet is the home of the biggest Jewish community between Tel Aviv and New York.

“Jewish or non-Jewish, we all feel the danger. This and other Holocaust commemorations must be a warning of what can happen.”