Lewisham marks Holocaust Memorial Day with a moving civic ceremony
Every year, Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January remembers the six million Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of others killed under Nazi persecution and in genocides that followed around the world.
This years' event brought together residents, community groups, faith leaders, a school and civic representatives at the Civic Suite in Catford.
This theme for 2026, ‘Bridging Generations’, shaped the programme, highlighting the importance of passing on memory, testimony and responsibility from one generation to the next.
The event opened with a welcome from Mayor Brenda Dacres OBE, who reflected on the enduring importance of remembrance and the role communities play in challenging hatred and discrimination in all its forms.
Attendees then heard a deeply moving testimony from Ms Marie Rose Rurangirwa, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Her words offered a powerful reminder of the human impact of genocide and the importance of safeguarding truth across generations.
The programme also included a musical performances by Cantor David Rome, accompanied by David Silkoff. A reading of ‘First They Came’ by Pastor Martin Niemöller, delivered by Cllr Amanda De Ryk, an address from Dr Sheila Gewolb, representing the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Followed by a performance by the Grinling Gibbons Primary School Choir, whose contribution embodied the event’s intergenerational theme.
A central moment of the ceremony was the lighting of six candles, each representing a different group affected by the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. The candles were lit by civic representatives, community figures and faith leaders, accompanied by the Memorial Prayer.
Holocaust Memorial Day remains a vital moment in Lewisham’s Civic Events calendar, bringing the community together to honour the past and strengthen its shared commitment to a more compassionate future.
