West Northants to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2023

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is taking place on Friday, 27 January to remember the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) will be marking Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) on Friday, 27 January to remember the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust under Nazi persecution and in the genocides, which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

HMD takes place every year on 27 January. This year, the theme is ‘Ordinary People’, which signifies 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.

To mark the day community groups and dignitaries will come together for a ceremony at the Guildhall in Northampton from 1pm to 2:30pm.

The event will commence with the lighting of candles and the laying of flowers in the Courtyard, followed by various speakers including Chairman of WNC Councillor Andre Gonzalez De Savage, WNC Leader Cllr Jonathan Nunn and Daniel Tabor from the Northampton Hebrew Congregation.

There will be performances from Northamptonshire schools and Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts (NMPAT), as well as a reading of the statement of commitments from the Northamptonshire Youth Forum, followed by refreshments including Challah – a traditional Jewish bread.

“Holocaust Memorial Day offers us a chance not just to remember those who have died in past genocides, but to recognise that the lives of very many people today are still overshadowed by the impact of more recent atrocities across the world.

"I would like to invite and encourage residents to join us in the service of remembrance and reflection, as we pledge to do all in our power to create a safer, better future and remember that prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all."Cllr David Smith, WNC's Cabinet Member for community safety and engagement.

The ceremony will be recorded and shared via WNC's Facebook and YouTube channel.

Residents are invited to commemorate the day through a minute of silence at 11am.

Social media users can help spread awareness about Holocaust Memorial Day by using the hashtags #HolocaustMemorialDay, #HMD2023 and #LightTheDarkness.

For more information about HMD please visit the HMD website.