Holocaust Memorial Day 2026: Bridging Generations
The Bournemouth and Poole Holocaust Memorial Day Committee’s annual commemoration will be taking place on Sunday 25th January from 2.00 – 4.30.
Each year, Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is shaped by a specific theme that guides how we remember, reflect and learn. At the heart of these commemorations are the voices of survivors and testimonies from individuals who were murdered in the Holocaust or in recent genocides. Their first-hand accounts deepen our emotional connection to the tragedy in a way no textbook ever could. They move us, challenge us, and – most importantly – stand as a powerful defence against the denial and distortion of history.
As time passes, however, we face the heart breaking reality that within the next decade, we may no longer have the privilege of hearing these stories from those who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust – the systematic murder of six million Jewish men, women and children. And when that moment comes, we risk losing more than just personal memories. Without these living witnesses, the depth of the suffering and the urgency to confront hatred and intolerance in our own time could begin to fade.
How, then, how do we ensure that the darkness of the Holocaust and the lessons it holds for all of us, are never forgotten?
The theme for HMD 2026 is Bridging Generations – a call to action. A reminder that the responsibility for remembrance will have to carry on through the children, grandchildren of survivors and all of us. This theme encourages us all to engage actively with the past: to listen, to learn and to carry those lessons forward. By doing so, we build a bridge between memory and action, between history and hope for the future.
We will start our event as usual with an act of commemoration with having 7 candles lit by adults and 7 young people reading from the Holocaust Day statement of commitment. We hope to be Bridging Generations by the 7 young people who will be reading the Statement of Commitment having a generational link with the adults lighting the candle. For example, one of the candle lighters will be a Holocaust survivor and his daughter will be one of the readers.
This will be followed by hearing the testimony of Maisie, a young person who took part in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project last academic year.
Our main speaker will be Melvyn Leach who will be telling the story of a family member, Willy Halpert, who never spoke about his past and forced himself to forget terrible memories. Willy was a hidden child who with Melvyn’s help, visited and researched archives in Belgium and the places where Willy was hidden to help him remember his story. By having Maisie as a teenager and Melvyn’s presentation we will be ‘Bridging Generations’.
Tickets for this event are free but must be reserved in advance. Please refer to the Bournemouth and Poole Holocaust Memorial Day Committee for tickets.
There will be a retiring collection with a suggested donation of £5 going towards the Bournemouth and Poole Holocaust Memorial Day Committee’s running costs.