Council to commemorate victims of genocide at annual Holocaust Memorial Day service
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is inviting residents from across the borough to commemorate victims of persecution at its annual Holocaust Memorial Day event.
The service begins at 11am on Monday 27 January at the Campus Roundabout, Welwyn Garden City. Led by the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, it will honour the six million Jewish men, women and children who were brutally murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust; the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups; and the victims of more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur, and the Yazidi genocide.
There will be speeches by the Mayor and Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, followed by readings from the borough’s Youth Council Chairs. There will also be reflections from Wendy Lidgate of Welwyn Hatfield Interfaith Group, Reynold Rosenberg from Welwyn Hatfield Synagogue, and prayers from the borough’s Jewish Congregation.
Doves will be released during the service, and there will be a minute’s silence as a mark of respect. After the service, refreshments will be provided at Campus West from 11:30am onwards.
Councillor Max Holloway, Leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said:
“On Holocaust Memorial Day, we come together to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime, as well as the millions of others who were victims of the Nazis and subsequent appalling genocides that have been committed around the world.
“By acknowledging the horror of these genocides and commemorating the victims, it is humanity’s hope that everyone can learn from the past and strive to create a better future.
“We can all take actions to stand up to racism, antisemitism, discrimination and intolerance in all their forms. By working together and confronting prejudice, we can play our part in making the world a better place.”
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day this year is ‘For a Better Future’, encouraging people to learn both from and about the Holocaust and other genocides and take actions to create a better future where no-one suffers prejudice or persecution because of their faith, ethnicity or any other characteristic. To find out more, visit hmd.org.uk