Holocaust Memorial Day takes place annually on 27 January, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. It is a day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside millions of others persecuted under Nazi rule and in subsequent genocides.
In Haringey, the Council works with the Holocaust Memorial Day Committee and local partners to deliver commemorative events and educational activities.
On Monday 26 January, our annual Holocaust Memorial Day interfaith ceremony took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Local dignitaries including the Mayor of Haringey, Cllr Ahmed Mahbub, Leader of the Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet, and local MPs, addressed the event alongside keynote speaker Emily Cass.
Ms Cass told the true story of her own mother’s plight to escape the Nazi death camps, reflecting on the kindness of strangers who helped her, and the lessons this holds for those facing persecution today:
"Now, when I hear stories of so many people throughout the world seeking a place of safety, I think about my mother and I think about the parallels that exist between her story and their stories.”
The national theme for 2026 is 'Bridging Generations' – a call to ensure remembrance continues beyond survivors, building a bridge between memory and action. This was reflected at the event with the participation of our younger generation, represented by Leader of the Youth Council, El Shaddai, and over 120 young people from Haringey’s schools - among them pupils from Gladesmore Community School, London Academy of Excellence, Highgate Wood, Haringey Learning Partnership, Greig City Academy, Haringey Sixth Form College, Fortismere and Alexandra Park School - emphasising the vital role this generation will have in ensuring that the Holocaust continues to be remembered, along with its sombre message of “Never Again.”
Following on from this, on Tuesday 27 January, Mayor of Haringey Cllr Ahmed Mahbub was joined by his fellow councillors, Leader of the Council, faith leaders and members of the Holocaust Memorial Day Committee to light candles and raise the Holocaust Memorial Flag at Bruce Castle Park.
Bruce Castle Park hosts Haringey’s Holocaust Memorial Garden, which is marking its 25th anniversary, having been dedicated in 2001. The Garden honours those who died in the Holocaust and other genocides. Memorials in the garden remember some of Haringey’s most inspiring Holocaust survivors – Roman and Susie Halter – as well as a sculpture ‘Imagine, Remember, Reflect, React’ by local artist Claudia Holder. These complement an important collection of memory about Haringey’s remarkable Holocaust survivors in Bruce Castle Museum and Archive.
Learn more about the history of the Holocaust and how you can support efforts to ensure the memory of victims and survivors lives on at the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website: www.hmd.org.uk
