The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 is ‘ordinary people’. Through this theme, we are invited to think about all the millions of ordinary victims of Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides. We are also prompted to think about how easy it is for ‘ordinary people’ to become perpetrators. In this light, today ordinary people must be alert to the dangers of antisemitism, racism, and intolerance, and strive to combat the evil of genocide in our world.
The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) has produced a resource for churches to observe Holocaust Memorial Day 2023. It includes examples of ‘ordinary’ people who demonstrated extraordinary acts of solidarity, resistance, and perseverance through their faith. There are also prayers to consider saying around Holocaust Memorial Day, to dedicate ourselves and our communities to never forgetting the horrors of the Holocaust, and to praying for a world where such hatred is overcome.
Download from the CCJ website.
About Holocaust Memorial Day
The 27th of January is the day for everyone to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. The 27th of January marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. In the UK, thousands of local events and activities take place every year – each one an opportunity for people to reflect on those whose lives were changed beyond recognition, and to challenge prejudice, discrimination, and hatred in our own society today. On HMD, we all have a role to play to ensure that we learn the lessons of the past, to create a safer, better future.
Cover image: © Yad Vashem Art Museum.
