24/01/23 

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2023, a recording of this year's Wales Commemoration will be available to watch on the Cardiff Council YouTube channel. 

Filmed at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff, the Multi-Faith Commemoration can be viewed from 11am on Friday 27th January, using the following link:  https://youtu.be/DTjVTRxKbGs (link active at 11am on the 27th).

The Commemoration is conducted by The Reverend Canon Stewart Lisk, Honorary Chaplain to Cardiff Council, with contributors including First Minister, Mark Drakeford, Leader of Cardiff Council, Huw Thomas, and The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Graham Hinchey.

Viewers can follow the ceremony by downloading the Holocaust Memorial Wales Day 2023 programme  here.

Holocaust Memorial Day is an international day of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust and other genocides. The day honours the survivors and remembers those who have lost their lives. It is held on January 27 every year, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, said: "The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day this year is, ‘Ordinary People'. It is a theme which carries the difficult yet powerful message that genocides are allowed to happen when ordinary people do nothing, when ordinary people ignore what is going on around them.

"That is why each year, the importance of marking Holocaust Memorial Day grows. As time passes, we lose those from the generations that were subjected to the horrors of genocide. Without Holocaust Memorial Day, our collective memory would fade, forgetting the dreadful acts committed throughout history. Today, we send our own powerful message that, as ordinary people, we will not forget, we will not accept intolerance and hate, we will not standby."

The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Cllr Graham Hinchey, said: "Holocaust Memorial Day serves as a valuable reminder that acts of persecution, and acts of discrimination, are not only in the past but are also tragically still around us today.

"Our Service of Commemoration provides us with an opportunity to collectively reflect, in remembrance for the victims and in honour of the survivors of the Holocaust and all other acts of genocide.

"Together, we must challenge prejudice, stand up to hatred, and speak out against persecution."

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "Today we remember the millions of people persecuted and killed during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.

"We remain grateful to the many survivors of genocide who devote countless hours towards sharing their harrowing stories and educating people across the nation.

"It is vital that we keep raising awareness of the Holocaust and the terrible impact of hate and prejudice, and we must remain vigilant and reject the corrosive and divisive narratives that still exist today.

"By ensuring these events are never forgotten, we help create a safer future by understanding and learning from the memories of the past."

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is inviting members of the public to pay their respects by  lighting a candle in their windows at 4pm on Friday January 27th,  where it is safe to do so, and to share a photo of the candle on social media, using #HolocaustMemorialDay and #LightTheDarkness.

Buildings and landmarks will be lit in purple on the night of Friday January 27th, 2023. Participating Cardiff buildings and landmarks include Cardiff Castle, Senedd, City Hall and Welsh Government Building, Cathays Park.

The UK Commemorative Ceremony for National Holocaust Memorial Day will take place online at 7pm on Thursday January 26, 2023. Further details, and instructions on how to register to watch the ceremony, are available at  www.hmd.org.uk/ukhmd/