Candlelit Star of David illuminates York Minster on Holocaust Memorial Day
Some 600 candles in the shape of the Star of David were lit for a commemoration for Holocaust Memorial Day at York Minster.
Leading figures from the worlds of politics and culture, including Prime Minister Theresa May, paid their respects to the victims of genocide and pledged to learn from the past ahead of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD).
Some 600 candles in the shape of the Star of David were lit for a commemoration for Holocaust Memorial Day at York Minster.
Before leaving for Washington, the Prime Minister signed the Book of Commitment, writing that remembering the Holocaust ‘is about more than words, It is about action’. She added:: “Our commitment to remember the Holocaust is about more than words. It is about action.”
At a commemorative event in Westminster on Friday, survivors of the Shoah will stand shoulder to shoulder with survivors of the genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, with the Chief Rabbi and Archbishop of Canterbury in attendance. Similar events will take place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Events in the capital are among some 6,000 initiatives across the world, as people of all religions and backgrounds prepare to mark the day – 27 January – when Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated.
Well-known names such as actors Jim Broadbent, Chelsea Halfpenny and Samuel Barnett are set to address crowds, while pre-recorded readings by John Simm, Jenny Agutter, Sheila Hancock and Nina Sosanya will be played.
Performers in London will include Irish musician Steve Wickham, who is best known as a member of The Waterboys and has composed original music for HMD, based on Jewish folk music.
In the UK, events are being held in community centres, schools, libraries, museums, arts venues, prisons, railway stations and places of worship.
Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, urged participants to learn from the past, with this year’s theme asking how life goes on for those who survive genocide.
“It is vital we all remember and reflect upon the horrors of the past, and honour those who survived and went on, with bravery, to rebuild their lives. On Holocaust Memorial Day, we learn from the past and consider how we can help build a better future.”
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Every January, when we listen to those who survived the Holocaust and other genocides, we don’t just learn a little more about the darkest chapters of human history, we give ourselves a stark reminder of where hatred and bigotry can lead if left unchecked. In 2017, that lesson is more important than ever.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
