The commemorative event began with an opening speech by the chairman of the Irish Jewish Museum, Edwin Alkin, followed by speeches by the charge d'affaires a.i. Filip Vurm and the Deputy Ambassador of Slovakia, Viera Motešická. The first lecture was given by Robert Řehák, Czech Ambassador-at-large for Holocaust Issues, titled "Mysterious legends and history of Jews in the Czech lands before their arrival in Ireland". On behalf of Slovakia, Martin Korčok, director of the Holocaust Museum in Sereď, gave a lecture on the "Fate of Jews from the Territory of Slovakia".

Historic event

In 1946, Rabbi Dr Solomon Schonfeld, from the Chief Rabbi’s Religious Emergency Council in London, arranged to have the Clonyn Castle in Delvin, Co Westmeath available as a children’s hostel. In May 1948, over 100 children arrived from Czechoslovakia and stayed in Clonyn Castle for one year where they received care and education from a network of supporters led by Mrs Olga Eppel from the Dublin Jewish community. When they left the country, they were settled in the US, Israel and the UK. More