Reading’s evening of reflection marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2023

AN EVENING of reflection to commemorate victims of the Holocaust will be held on Wednesday 25 January 2023.

Reading’s annual civic commemoration will follow the global Holocaust Memorial Day theme for 2023 of ‘Ordinary People’. The ordinary people who let genocide happen, the ordinary people who actively perpetrated genocide, and the ordinary people who were persecuted. The theme will also prompt discussions of how ordinary people, such as ourselves, can perhaps play a bigger part than we might imagine in challenging prejudice

The free event will feature a mix of live elements, including speakers, choral performances, and an address from Viktoriia Lahodynska, a former teacher of school #70 of Kyiv City, Ukraine.

The evening will also feature a Candle lighting & Memorial Ceremony, The Maidenhead Synagogue Choir, and a speech on the current situation in the Ukraine from Mick Polleck, Reading Ukrainian Community Centre.

The event will begin at 6:30pm in the Council chamber and will also be live-streamed on the Reading Council Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Readingcouncil.

Councillor Jason Brock, Leader of Reading Borough Council, said:

“Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to reflect on the human tragedy of the Holocaust and genocides across the world and remember those murdered. It is a vital opportunity to learn and raise awareness, just as it also offers a chance to reflect on how we might chart a way forward in seeking a common pursuit of a safer, better future.

“I’d like to encourage residents to join the commemoration online via our Facebook page, and if they are able, light a candle to illuminate the darkness both to remember those murdered only for being who they were and to stand against prejudice and hatred in society today. There can be no room for intolerance or prejudice.”

Victor Koroma, General Manager at the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE) said:

“We are in a phase of human relations when the concept of ‘Cancel Culture’ is a new meaning that fills one with a sense of foreboding. We must never forget the horrors of the Holocaust as an example of what happens when we lose sight of the need to protect democracy, individual, and group rights. Ordinary and well-meaning people, especially in Reading, have always stood up against extremism, and long may they continue to do so.”

For further information please contact events@reading.gov.uk.

ENDS