Friday 27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day. The theme this year is ‘Ordinary People’.
The council is supporting the Brighton & Hove Holocaust Education Project in commemorating the day, with an event held at the council chambers in Hove Town Hall.
The commemoration will be ‘hybrid event’, containing new video footage by Latest TV their live coverage.
The event is open to everyone by watching Latest TV or click on the Latest TV website to access the live stream, and includes an original dance performance from students from Brighton & Hove High School.
Participants include members of the Brighton & Hove Jewish community, the Mayor of Brighton & Hove Councillor Lizzie Deane, councillors, the city’s 3 MPs city councillors and special guests.
For the last 3 years, Latest TV has filmed dozens of films covering the art, music, poetry and literature of survivors as well as interviews, all of which are available online on Latest TV’s Holocaust Memorial Day vimeo channel.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day of remembrance for the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
HMD is for everyone. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future.
There are many ways to interpret the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2023 of ‘Ordinary People’. You can read about some of those on the Holocaust Memorial Day website.
The role of ‘ordinary people’
Councillor Steph Powell, joint chair of the Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Committee, said:
“On Holocaust Memorial Day, we stand with our communities to remember the 6 million Jews, and the 10s of thousands of disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, those from the Roma & Gypsy communities, political prisoners, religious figures and many others murdered during the Holocaust, and all those killed under Nazi persecution and occupation.
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all our diverse communities and continue to say ‘never again’.
“Holocaust Memorial Day is a day to remember, to learn about the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and those murdered in genocides since, such as those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
“This year’s theme focuses on the role every ordinary person can play in joining the call and hoping there may be one day in the future with no genocide.
“Quoting the theme, genocide is facilitated by ordinary people. Ordinary people turn a blind eye, believe propaganda, join murderous regimes. And those who are persecuted, oppressed and murdered in genocide aren’t persecuted because of crimes they’ve committed – they are persecuted simply because they are ordinary people who belong to a particular group
“Ordinary people were involved in all aspects of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and in the genocides that took place in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Ordinary people were perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, witnesses – and ordinary people were victims.
“And, as ordinary people, it’s up to all of us to remember. The holocaust must never be forgotten, nor must it ever be repeated.
“We must all learn the lessons from the past, and how harmful prejudice and discrimination is.
“We do not tolerate hate in our city, and we support all of our diverse communities, including our faith, BME, LGBT+ and disabled communities.
“We continue to work collaboratively with our community groups bringing people together, building tolerance and standing against hate wherever we find it.”
Find out more on the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website.