“Bridging the generations” was the theme for the event at the City Varieties Music Hall this afternoon (Sunday), while there was also emphasis on the importance of the lessons “in a world that is becoming increasingly polarised by division and hate”.
Hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen, the event featured a multimedia performance telling the story of a Holocaust survivor and music from the United Hebrew Congregation choir with Rabbi Alby Chait MBE.
Cllr Cohen, said: “As we move further away from the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, collective memory can very easily fade so events like Holocaust Memorial Day are so important as we come together to commemorate those that were tragically murdered.
“It’s also important to learn and remember together and to educate ourselves from those remaining survivors and from those testimonies so that we ourselves can bare witness to the Holocaust and remember what happens in societies when we persecute minorities.”
He added: “Leeds is a city that is so proud of the communities that make up our amazing city and it’s a testament to Leeds that we’ve always led the way in Holocaust Memorial Day in making sure it’s a key date in the civic diary.”
Check out our gallery of pictures from the event below.
1. Memorial event
Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen marks Holocaust Memorial Day at an event at the City Varieties in Leeds. | Tony Johnson
2. 'Bridging the generations'
'Bridging the Generations' was the theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day event in Leeds. | Tony Johnson
3. Civic event
Hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen, the Holocaust Memorial Day civic event took place at City Varieties Music Hall at 2pm on Sunday. | Tony Johnson
4. Day of remembrance
The annual Holocaust Memorial Day event is part of a wider International Day of Remembrance that focuses on the six million Jewish men, women and children killed in the Holocaust, together with people from other minority groups who died through Nazi persecution. The day also remembers those murdered in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. | Tony Johnson
5. Remembrance
Concluding the proceedings was a reading of the seven statements of commitments with candles lit by representatives of the different groups persecuted in the Holocaust, by Nazi persecution and in the subsequent genocides which followed. | Tony Johnson
6. Keynote speaker
The event's keynote speaker was Dr Tracy Craggs, head of collections at the Holocaust Centre North, based at the University of Huddersfield. Tracy is responsible for working with Holocaust survivors and their families in securing collections for the future. | Tony Johnson