Rotherham Council is inviting residents to join them to remember and pay tribute to those who had lost their lives in genocides across the world at the Holocaust Memorial Day event.
The Holocaust Memorial Day event will take place on Thursday 25 January from 12noon until 12:30pm in Clifton Park at the Bandstand.
This year will be the 9th event hosted in Rotherham town centre to mark the international day of remembrance for the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of people murdered under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
As in previous years, there is a theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2024 and this is the ‘Fragility of Freedom’ – reflecting on how freedom is fragile and vulnerable to abuse.
Freedom is something we all enjoy and often take for granted, however, those who are persecuted often find their most basic of freedoms revoked. This can include limiting people’s ability to practice their religion, targeting those who express certain views or voice their concerns. Even the freedom to live, move around freely and have a family can be threatened.
The event will include speeches around the theme from a variety of guests including the Mayor of Rotherham, local religious dignitaries and representatives from the Council.
It will also include songs from local schools, and local musician, Nic Harding. Songs will be performed from 11:45am prior to the formal event starting.
Rotherham Council’s Leader, Cllr Chris Read, said: “Holocaust Memorial Day continues to be an important day in January for the Council and for residents to both reflect and remember. It is a day where members of the community come together to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in genocides as well as those who have survived and continue to live in our communities.
“It is important that we mark Holocaust Memorial Day, ensuring that we don’t forget what has happened in the past and the patterns of events that can lead to genocides. Throughout history, persecuted people have had their very basic freedoms revoked -this year’s theme reflects on this stark reality and allows us to question how fragile our own freedoms are and how we all too often take them for granted.”
Further information about the event can be found on the Council’s website.