Holocaust Memorial Day
27th January 2025
For a Better Future is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2025.
We can learn both from and about the Holocaust and more recent genocides, for a better future.
This Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 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 7 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. We hope that HMD 2025 can be an opportunity for people to come together, learn both from and about the past, and take actions to make a better future for all.
There are many things we can all do to create a better future. We can speak up against Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion; we can challenge prejudice; we can encourage others to learn about the Holocaust and more recent genocides.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide.
27 January is the date of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27 January to remember the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of people murdered under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Light the Darkness. On January 27th at 8pm, people across the UK are invited to light a candle and place it safely in their windows to remember those who were murdered for who they were and to stand against prejudice and hatred today.
Helen was only twelve years old when the German army arrived at her home. She was one of around only 750 people to be liberated from the Łódź Ghetto, out of 250,000 people sent there. Her mother and brother survived with her, but her father was murdered at Chełmno.
‘I hope by sharing my experiences people can better understand how inflicting suffering on one another benefits nobody, and instead find ways to reach out and open our hearts. I believe education, especially for our children, is key to renouncing hate and prejudice whenever we encounter it and to break down the barriers that may exist between us.’
Learn more: https://www.hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/what-is-genocide/
https://hmd.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Short-answers-to-big-questions-PowerPoint.pptx
