The event at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton featured the lighting of a memorial candle by Lambeth Mayor Cllr Adrian Garden and performances by students from three local schools.
The main presentation was a powerful key note speech from the daughter of Henry Wuga MBE who came to the UK on the Kindertransport, escaping the Nazi persecution of Jewish people.
Cllr Claire Holland, the Leader of Lambeth Council, opened the event with an official welcome. She said: “We are proud to host an annual Holocaust Memorial Day event and thank everyone who attended.
“The ‘Bridging Generations’’ theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day highlights the crucial role of the next generation in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and carrying it forward.
“The Town Hall event powerfully supports that aim and follows a 12-months in which we were all deeply shocked and appalled by the attack on a Manchester synagogue in October, on Yom Kippur the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and the horrific events of December 14 at Bondi Beach in Australia.
“We have said before how horrified we are that the scourge of antisemitism appears to be rising, causing deep fear and anxiety for our Jewish communities and reminding us of how hate makes freedom more fragile.
“We know many communities across the country are feeling vulnerable, with hostility and suspicion of others rising. In Lambeth, we stand united with all our communities in rejecting all forms of violence, terror and hate.
“We are immensely proud of our diverse community in Lambeth. Lambeth has been a borough of Sanctuary since 2022, welcoming people from all cultures and faith or non-faith backgrounds.
“Equity and Justice are the golden thread of our Borough Plan in Lambeth, and this means we look to remove any barriers to equity and call it out when we see unfair treatment or discrimination.
“Events such as this mark our commitment to actively promoting an inclusive community where all residents feel safe and welcome to pursue their lives and work in the borough without fear of discrimination.”
The event also featured readings by Dunraven School students, and musical performances by Streatham & Clapham High School Choir and Corpus Christi School Choir.
