Virtual ceremonies to be broadcast on Holocaust Memorial Day for Greenwich and Lewisham

Greenwich and Lewisham will remember the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in an online event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The Greenwich event will include several music and song performances as well as recorded memories from some of the ‘hidden children’ caught up in the horrors of the Second World War.

A virtual screening will be broadcast at 11am on Wednesday, January 27.

Mayor Cllr Linda Bird said: “Holocaust Memorial Day is an important time for reflection.

“The unforgiveable slaughter of six million human beings over 75 years ago forms a dark part of our history and demonstrates the horrors brought about by intolerance between cultures and communities.

“In Royal Greenwich, we celebrate our differences and work towards harmony and understanding. We strive to teach future generations about our past to prevent such horrors from ever occurring again.

“I hope everyone who can, will join our virtual commemorative event and stand together against hate and prejudice of all kind.”

Holocaust Memorial Day is marked each year on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

In addition to remembering the millions of victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, Holocaust Memorial Day provides an opportunity to remember the victims of the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur.

The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 is ‘Be the light in the darkness’, which encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to, but also the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide.

The broadcast will be available to watch on the council’s Facebook and YouTube channels from 11am on January 27.

Lewisham‘s service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day will be broadcast at 5.30pm.

The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘be the light in the darkness’.

Lewisham council’s online service will bring residents together to remember the millions of lives that were lost during the Holocaust, and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Lewisham hosts an event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day every year, and children from local primary and secondary schools who take part in the programme of Holocaust education demonstrate their learning through creative performances and readings. Many of these performances feature in the online service.

‘Be the light in the darkness’ is a call to all of us to identify different kinds of darkness – persecution, misinformation, denial of justice – and different ways of being the light and resisting that darkness. Across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future.

Lewisham mayor Damien Egan, chair of the Lewisham Holocaust Memorial Committee said: “Lewisham will always stand up against hatred and intolerance in all its forms. The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, “be light in the darkness”, is more important than ever in today’s society and one that we must all unite behind.

The online Holocaust Memorial Day service will be available to watch at https://www.iamlewisham.uk/holocaust-memorial-day-2021.