Honouring Holocaust Memorial Day with online service

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on Thursday January 27, 2022.

It commemorates the devastation of six million Jews killed during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of others who lost their lives under Nazi persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Each year a theme is chosen for the day, and for 2022 it is ‘One Day’. Survivors of the Holocaust and of genocide often talk about the One Day when everything changed, sometimes for the worse and sometimes for the better.

Holocaust Memorial Day is One Day that we put aside to come together to remember, to learn about the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and the genocides that followed, in the hope that there may be One Day in the future with no genocide. We learn more about the past, we empathise with others, and we take action for a better future.

This year’s ceremony will be hosted and streamed online. It will be available to watch for free via Zoom from 5:45pm on Thursday 27 January 2022.

The vigil will feature reflections from the Lord Mayor, Gail Smith and the Leader of the Council, Terry Fox.

They will be joined by figures from various communities in Sheffield:

• Howard Saffer – Sheffield Jewish Reform Community
• Muneerah Al-Yafai and Rikzar Amin – Sheffield City Council Youth Cabinet
• Reverend David Busse - Associate Pastor at The Church of God of Prophecy, Duke Street
• Rabbi Golomb - Sheffield Jewish Orthodox Community
• Val Bowen – Disability Sheffield
• Ryan Wileman – The Salvation Army

Cllr Terry Fox, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said:

“Holocaust Memorial Day provides Sheffielders with the opportunity to remember those who were persecuted during the Holocaust, as well as other subsequent genocides.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have come to understand the importance of ‘One Day’ and how it can change our lives in an instant and I hope the people of Sheffield will join us for this important online service.

“I look forward to seeing people from all faiths and communities joining us for this commemorative service from the comfort of their homes.”

For more information about this year’s event, head to the Sheffield City Council website.