Croydon’s Civic Mayor has invited residents and colleagues to join him at the Annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony.
The remembrance event will be held in the Council Chamber, Croydon Town Hall, Katharine Street, on Tuesday 27 January at 12pm, with an introduction from the Worshipful, The Civic Mayor of Croydon, Councillor Richard Chatterjee.
The Civic Mayor will read the Croydon Pledge followed by the candle lighting and a minute’s silence.
Executive Mayor Jason Perry will then give a speech and will sign a book of Remembrance, along with The Civic Mayor, Councillor Chatterjee.
John Kerbel will deliver a speech on behalf of Croydon Synagogue, before Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, Councillor Andy Stranack, will speak about the Holocaust.
There will be a keynote address from Lesley Orbach from Generation2Generation, and a presentation from Oasis Academy Coulsdon.
The winners of the annual school competition will also be announced at the event. The competition, run by the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE), asked Croydon’s students to create artwork, a short story, poem, essay, or short film on this year’s theme of ’Bridging Generations’.
The SACRE committee judged the entries and Penny Smith-Orr, SACRE Officer, will announce the winning school.
The remembrance event is open to the public, with spaces allocated on a first come, first served basis. To attend, please contact civicmayor@croydon.gov.uk
Civic Mayor of Croydon, Councillor Richard Chatterjee, said: “Holocaust Memorial Day is about honouring the experiences of all people affected by the Holocaust and genocide, but it’s also about learning the lessons of the past and challenging ourselves to work for a safer, better future.
“Here in Croydon, we are proud of the rich diversity of backgrounds in our community and today is a reminder that we must always stand firm against hatred and bigotry of any type and that the horrors of the Holocaust must never happen again.”
