The Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr Chris Myers, led a poignant candlelit parade and ceremony to mark Holocaust Memorial Day last week.
The candlelit parade travelled from Manor Road Car Park in Potters Bar last Thursday (25 January), to the Wyllyotts Theatre where a ceremony took place which included a first-hand personal account from Hertsmere resident, Judith Hayman.
The event was held to remember the millions of people who have been murdered or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
During the ceremony, the Holocaust Memorial Day Prayer was read by Reverend Philip Green, representing the Mayor’s Chaplaincy, followed by a two-minute silence. There were speeches by the Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Robert Voss CBE CStJ, Hertsmere resident, Judith Hayman, Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr Chris Myers and the Leader of Hertsmere, Cllr Jeremy Newmark. Music was performed by Potters Bar Community Choir and videos shown. Also in attendance were a number of our councillors and staff, dignitaries and members of the public.
Mayor Cllr Myers said: “I was deeply honoured to lead such an important event for our borough.
“The theme this year was ‘Fragility of Freedom’ to acknowledge that freedom is fragile and it cannot be taken for granted. Not only do perpetrator regimes erode the freedom of the people they are targeting, they also restrict the freedoms of others around them, to prevent people from challenging the regime.”
The event was held the day before Holocaust Memorial Day, which is on 27 January, the anniversary of the day in 1945 when the Soviet Army liberated the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.
To watch a video of the event, please click here.
To learn more about why this day is significant, and how to get involved, visit https://www.hmd.org.uk/
Posted on Monday 29th January 2024