As a result of the COVID-19 restrictions in place in much of the country, Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 is being marked nationally with online ceremonies on Wednesday, 27 January. The theme this year is ‘Be the light in the darkness’.
Ealing Council will be honouring Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 with a pre-recorded ceremonial video with guest speeches from the mayor of Ealing Dr Councillor Abdullah Gulaid, Deputy Lieutenant Richard Kornicki CBE, council leader Julian Bell, Rabbi Vogel from Ealing Synagogue, Rabbi Lawrence from Ealing Liberal Synagogue and Reverend Dean Ayres, associate rector of Acton. Councillor Peter Mason will be making the keynote speech.
The video will be available on Ealing Council’s Facebook page, and via its YouTube channel, on Wednesday, 27 January.
Leader of the council, Julian Bell, said: “This year, Holocaust Memorial Day will be predominantly marked online due to the pandemic. This however does not take away from the day’s importance or impact.
“It gives us the chance to reflect on the past and think about what we can learn to help us confront discrimination and celebrate our diversity as a borough today.”
Holocaust Memorial Day is held on 27 January each year to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution in the 1930s and 40s. The date, 27 January, was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
Holocaust Memorial Day ceremonies are also observed to remember the millions of people murdered in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
This year’s theme, ‘Be the light in the darkness’, highlights the ways individuals and communities resisted that darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide. More information about the theme is available via the Holocaust Memorial Trust website.
The Holocaust Memorial Trust has planned an evening of activities for you to get involved with from the safety of your homes:
7pm – The online ceremony hosted by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. You will need to register via the Trust’s website beforehand to receive the weblink.
8pm – Light the Darkness. Households across the UK are being encouraged to light a candle and put it safely in their windows to remember those who were murdered and to show that they stand against prejudice and hatred today.
8.05pm – Upload a photo of your candle on social media, using the hashtags #HolocaustMemorialDay #LightTheDarkness.
