What: Greater Manchester Holocaust Memorial Day
Commemoration Event
Where: The Goulburn Suite, Manchester Hall, 36
Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BT
When: 09:30-11:30 am Monday 27 January 2020
Greater Manchester will mark Holocaust Memorial Day with a
special commemorative event at Manchester Hall on Monday 27
January.
Faith, civic, political and community leaders will come together
for the second city-region-wide event to remember the millions of
people murdered in the Holocaust and genocides in places such as
Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
In 2020, Holocaust Memorial Day – held under the theme of
Standing Together – marks 75 years since the liberation of
Auschwitz-Birkenau, and will also see the
25th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica,
Bosnia.
Last year the first Holocaust Memorial Day for Greater Manchester
was held at Manchester Cathedral, with the support of the
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Association of Jewish Refugees,
and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Rabbi Daniel Walker of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation will
address this year's event, as will Icek Alterman, a survivor of
the Holocaust now living in Greater Manchester. There will be
readings from Figen Murray, mother of Martyn Hett, and Elinor
Chohan MBE DL, Chair of the Northwest Board of Remembering
Srebrenica, as well as performances by musicians from the Royal
Northern College of Music and Cantor Avrom Aronson.
Mayor of Greater Manchester said: “I want to
thank the Association of Jewish Refugees, the Holocaust Memorial
Day Trust, and friends including Figen Murray for joining us at
Manchester Hall for this day of commemoration.
“Those who survived the Holocaust have given powerful testimony
to the horrors they experienced, and as time passes on it is
increasingly important that we hear their voices and reflect on
the lessons of this atrocity and others around the world.
“Now more than ever, it is vital that we understand and recognise
the historical circumstances that led to these appalling events,
and challenge this kind of hatred whenever and wherever it
occurs.
“The rich diversity of our places is our strength. I want to send
a message of solidarity from Greater Manchester to all those
around the world affected by persecution and its tragic,
avoidable consequences: we will always stand with you.”
Michael Newman, Chief Executive of the Association of
Jewish Refugees, stated: “Holocaust Memorial Day
commemoration is particularly significant this year as we
remember 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and
how the world was freed from Nazi oppression that ostracised the
Jewish community and other minority groups and deliberately
divided society.
“On this day we remember those who, through their actions,
alleviated the plight of the refugees and the survivors, and not
only the Jewish victims of the Nazis. In addition to spoken
testimonies, we can now also rely on the written and recorded
word of testimony to combat untruth and to stand together to
honour, commemorate and educate.”
