Today is Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), which marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.
80 years on from the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, antisemitism (anti-Jewish hatred) has increased significantly in the UK and globally following the 7th October attacks in Israel by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza. Extremists are exploiting the situation to stir up anti-Muslim hatred in the UK. Many UK communities are feeling vulnerable, with hostility and suspicion of others rising. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s hope is that it can be an opportunity for people to come together from all backgrounds and religions, learn both from and about the past, and take actions to make a better future for all.
As I have written about before here, and at the 85th anniversary of the Kindertransport system here, Bishopsgate has a deep rooted connection to Holocaust Memorial Day and this year the Yad Vashem Exhibition titled ‘Auschwitz A Place on Earth’ will be displayed on 27th January at 6pm at the Kindertransport Memorial at Liverpool Street Station (EC2M 7PD).
Guests are being invited to bring a photo of someone you identify with, who was affected by the holocaust and are welcome to say a few words or light a candle in their memory.
The City of London Corporation are also trying to play their part in community cohesion. Through the City Belonging Project, ‘Faith in the City’ has emerged, which I recently wrote about here. The City has a cosmopolitan, blended community with vastly differing faith and believes, which each have different needs. It is our job to try and ensure that the public infrastructure is able to accommodate an ecosystem for each community to live and work together with respect and kindness.
If you’d like to know more about the faith networks in the City of London, do feel free to get in touch.
