By KLTV Newsdesk –
As we observe the annual Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th, Holocaust Centre North is set to host an Evening of Commemoration at its base at the University of Huddersfield.
The event, scheduled for Tuesday, January 23rd, will commence at 6:30 pm.
Open to the public and free to attend, this annual gathering organised by Holocaust Centre North is dedicated to Holocaust remembrance.
Bringing people together
The event aims to bring together survivors, their families, community groups, local schools, the University of Huddersfield, and the Holocaust Centre North’s team of volunteers to collectively remember the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and others who suffered under Nazi persecution.
Centre Director Alessandro Bucci, with the support of University of Huddersfield Deputy Vice Chancellor Tim Thornton, will lead the evening.
The program will feature various readings, performances, and presentations by speakers directly or indirectly affected by the atrocities of the Holocaust.
In a poignant display, refugees and artists representing over six million individuals will dramatise a poem centered on the Holocaust Memorial Day theme of the ‘Fragility of Freedom’.
This poem was collectively written by participants from Ukraine, Sudan, Kurdish Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and those with Jewish heritage.
Additionally, a video created by students of Benton Park School will be presented, reflecting on their recent interaction with Holocaust Centre North and their studies on Holocaust History.
A special guest, Dieudonne Manirakiza, will share his experiences of working in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, where he played a crucial role in bringing together victims and perpetrators to encourage reconciliation.
Dieudonne’s presence is significant as it marks the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.
The evening will conclude with the traditional lighting of six remembrance candles, to be lit by survivors Trude Silman, Martin Kapel, and Liesel Carter.
The Mayor of Kirklees Cahal Burke and a representative of the University of Huddersfield’s Jewish Society will also participate in this solemn moment.
The event will close with words from Frank Griffiths, Honorary Life President of the Holocaust Survivors Friendship Association.
‘Crucial Spotlight’
Hannah Randall, Head of Learning at Holocaust Centre North, emphasised the importance of such events in the current climate of increasing antisemitism and growing Holocaust denial.
She said: “At a time when first-hand witnesses to the Holocaust are diminishing, shedding a spotlight on the risks of baseless hatred in society becomes more crucial than ever.
“We must come together, regardless of our backgrounds and faiths, to reflect and remember the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, ensuring they are never forgotten.”
While tickets to the Commemoration event at Holocaust Centre North on Tuesday, January 23rd, are free, advance booking is required. Donations are also welcome and can be made through the following link.