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 11:00 am on Tuesday 27 January at the Campus Roundabout, Welwyn Garden City. Led by the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, Councillor Lynn Chesterman OBE, it will honour the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were brutally murdered during the Holocaust; the millions of others persecuted by the Nazis; and victims of more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, and the Yazidi genocide.
The service will include speeches from the Mayor and the Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, followed by readings and reflections from the borough’s Youth Council Chair, Ava Mohammad Aghaei, and Vice Chair, Jacob Shaw; the Rabbi of Welwyn Synagogue and other representatives from Welwyn Garden City Hebrew Congregation; and the Welwyn Hatfield Interfaith Group.
After the service, refreshments will be provided at Campus West from 11:30 am onwards.
Councillor Max Holloway, Leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said:
"Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to remember the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were murdered during the Holocaust, along with the millions of others who have suffered in genocides around the world. By reflecting on these tragedies and honouring the victims, we can ensure their stories and lessons are not forgotten. I hope residents will join the ceremony to pay their respects and remember these important histories."
This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day theme of ‘Bridging Generations’ is a reminder that the responsibility to remember and learn from the past doesn’t end with survivors – it lives on through all of us. For more information, visit hmd.org.uk.