More than 100 people gathered to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on Tuesday (27 January) at a moving ceremony in Hertsmere.
The event began with a lantern procession from Civic Offices led by the Mayor Cllr Alpha Bird Collins and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Mr Stuart Nagler, alongside councillors, faith leaders, dignitaries and community representatives. They carried lanterns as a symbol of remembrance.
Once at the school, the ceremony was formally opened by the Mayor who said:
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 is Bridging Generations. This is a call to action.“It will encourage a shared responsibility, recognising that remembrance is a shared task – one that requires every generation to step forward.“Together, we will build empathy and understanding, using the lessons of the Holocaust and of recent genocides to sharpen our awareness and deepen our compassion in the face of contemporary injustices.”
The speeches were opened by The Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, who was followed by Maralyn Turgel, a respected speaker for Generation 2 Generation who shared the story of her late father Sam Gardner’s experiences during the war and in concentration camps.
Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Leader of the Council also gave a speech in which he said :
On this day we say to the six million Jews and millions of others who were murdered, your memory lives. We say to the victims of more recent genocides, we carry the fragments of your lives in our hearts and in our action. We refuse to forget. We refuse to be silent. We refuse to let indifference win. And we say to the next generation, the torch passes to you. Not as a burden, but as a trust. You are the bridge between memory and the future.”
The Welwyn Garden City Voice Choir performed before the Mayor invited distinguished guests to light candles in remembrance:
The Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire lit the first candle for The Holocaust.
The Chair of Hertfordshire County Council lit the second candle for the Nazi Persecution.
The Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council lit the third candle for the genocide in Cambodia.
The Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, the fourth candle for the Rwanda genocide.
The Deputy Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, the fifth candle for the genocide in Bosnia, and The Leader of the Hertsmere Conservative Group the sixth candle for the Darfur genocide.