A group of nine young men outside the hostel in Nightingale Road, Clapton, North London. Pic: The Jewish Museum
January 27 is Holocaust Memorial Day. Not only does it mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945, it is a time to remember the millions of people who died during the Holocaust, in the Nazi camps and also in genocides.
Holocaust Memorial Day has been taking place since 2001 and over 3,600 local activities are organized every year in the UK. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is a charity created in 2005 to promote the commemorations in the UK, and has been funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government since 2007.
Memorial Candle. Pic: James E. Foehl/Wikipedia
Many boroughs have organized commemorative events.
HACKNEY
Hackney Town Hall Holocaust Memorial Day
Hackney Town Hall is hosting a Holocaust Memorial Day, which will take place in the Assembly Halls at 10am.
CROYDON
Croydon Town Hall Holocaust Memorial Day Civic Ceremony
Croydon Town Hall is hosting a Holocaust Memorial Day Civic Ceremony. Candle-lighting will take place from 12.00PM to 12.30PM, followed by a commemorative event from 12.30PM to 1.40PM. Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s step-sister, will give a talk, remembering the victims. Read: Eva Schloss talks of Auschwitz and life after war for Holocaust Memorial Day.
David Lean Cinema in Croydon will be screening ‘Phoenix’
The movie tells the story of a Jewish singer who returns to Berlin following injuries and plastic surgery as a death camp survivor.
Croydon Central Library Hidden Histories Exhibition
Ending on January 30 the Croydon Central Library presents six lives of survivors from the camps.
TOWER HAMLETS
‘The Boys’ exhibition at The Brady Arts Centre
‘The Boys: Triumph over Adversity’ depicts how young survivors from the death camps rebuilt their lives in the UK.
The 2016 theme is ‘Don’t Stand By’ in order to remember those people who did not stand by and fought to defend their people.
Survivor from the camps Elie Wiesel wrote: “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
Stories of survivors from the camps for the 2016 event are available on the HMD Trust website.
Follow Nina Lecourt on Twitter: @NinaLecourt
