Open invitation to Holocaust memorial in Croydon

Croydon’s Civic Mayor has invited residents and colleagues to join the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony.

The remembrance event will be held in the council chamber at Croydon Town Hall in Katharine Street on Friday at noon, with an introduction from the Civic Mayor, Councillor Tony Pearson.

Marilyn Arbisman of Croydon Synagogue will deliver a speech, before a keynote address from Timothy Locke from Generation 2 Generation, an organisation that enlists third and second-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors to tell their family stories and experiences.

Cllr Pearson, said: “Holocaust Memorial Day is about honouring the experiences of all people affected by the Holocaust and genocide, but it’s also about learning the lessons of the past and challenging ourselves to work for a safer, better future.

“Here in Croydon, we are proud of the rich diversity of backgrounds in our community and today is a reminder that we must always stand firm against hatred and bigotry of any type and that the horrors of the Holocaust must never happen again.”

The winners of an annual school competition will also be announced at the event. The competition, run by the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE), asked Croydon’s students to create artwork, a short story, poem, essay, or short film on the theme of the ’Fragility of Freedom’.

The SACRE committee judged the entries and Cllr Richard Chatterjee, chairman of SACRE, will announce the winning school.

The remembrance event is open to the public, with spaces allocated on a first come, first served basis. Those who are unable to attend in person will be able to view the event as a webcast on Microsoft Teams. To attend or view the webcast, please contact felisha.dussard@croydon.gov.uk.

(Picture: Croydon council)