Commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day - How the Borough's residents can reflect and remember

Stockton Central Library will host a special event to mark this year's Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), where the Borough's residents can reflect and remember.

The international event takes place each year on January, 27 to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.

This year's theme, 'For a Better Future', highlights the opportunity for people to come together, learn from and about the past and take actions to make a better future for all.

Residents and visitors are invited to join the Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees, Councillor John Gardner and other dignitaries at the Holocaust Memorial event in Stockton Central Library from 5.30pm to 6.30pm on Thursday, January 23.

Susie Kaufman will present her parents and stepfather, Ronnie, Eva and Kurt's stories of survival after they fled to escape Nazi suppression and persecution, becoming child refugees during the war.

A student ambassador from the 'Lessons from Auschwitz' project will also reflect on a personal visit to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

At the end of the evening, which will be hosted by the Mayor, a remembrance candle will be lit to remember those who faced persecution and lost their lives.

The event, which has been organised with support from Shabana Marshall, Educator for the Holocaust Education Trust, is free but ticketed and places are limited. Tickets are available at book a library event

Local Stockton-on-Tees' landmarks including the Town Centre, Riverside and Newport Bridge, will also be lit up in purple on the evening of Saturday, January 25 in support of Holocaust Memorial Day.

Councillor Bob Cook, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "This will be our third commemoration event to mark World Holocaust Day, and it continues to be hugely important.

"Events like this will hopefully help educate our younger generations to ensure these atrocities are not forgotten and more importantly not repeated in the future.

"The memorial event at Stockton Central Library will provide an insight into the Holocaust and provide an opportunity to honour the lives and experiences of people affected by the Holocaust and genocide.

"There will also be an emphasis on how we can show compassion and understanding to refugees which is still relevant today, so I would encourage everyone to come along."

At 8pm on Holocaust Memorial Day itself households across the country are being encouraged to safely light candles in their windows to remember those lost, and to stand against prejudice and hatred today.