Representatives of communities and faith groups from Bromley came together at the Civic Centre on 27 January for a service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
The Bromley Holocaust Memorial Day service featured the lighting of six candles to shine for the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis, along with one candle for the genocides of other groups persecuted by the Nazis, along with those in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. A further candle was lit as a symbol of hope for those who made a decision to stand together with the Jewish people.
The Mayor of Bromley, Cllr Hannah Gray, was joined by the Leader of the Council, Cllr Colin Smith, Colonel Bob Stewart MP, Sir Bob Neill MP, elected members, council officers and Bromley residents for an interfaith service to remember the millions who have been murdered through genocide both in the Holocaust and elsewhere. Holocaust Memorial Day is marked on 27 January each year to remember those killed by Nazi persecution alongside subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
The theme for 2023 was ‘Ordinary People’; how everyday people became targets, but also how normal people became the perpetrators, the bystanders and the enablers. Speaking at the service, the Mayor of Bromley, Councillor Hannah Gray said: “I think it is important to recognise that we are sharing this service. The coming together as a group and community is important. It is a joining of people and communities to recognise and acknowledge the atrocities of the past and to work together to ensure their like is never allowed again.” Further information about Holocaust Memorial Day can be found on the Holocaust Memorial Day website.
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For media enquiries, please contact Matthew Amer, Senior Public Affairs Officer, on 020 8313 4938 or email matthew.amer@bromley.gov.uk