Holocaust Memorial Day commemorated by Mayor and Assembly at annual City Hall service

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Chair of the London Assembly, Andrew Boff AM, today welcomed Jewish community leaders and Holocaust and genocide survivors to City Hall for a commemorative service ahead of next Monday’s Holocaust Memorial Day.

The annual service, organised in collaboration with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and the Holocaust Educational Trust, remembers the survivors and victims of the Holocaust as well as those affected by other genocides.

The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘For a Better Future’. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenican genocide in the former Yugoslavia.

The City Hall ceremony featured testimonials from Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke BEM, who was born in the notorious Mauthausen concentration camp, and Smajo Bešo OBE, a survivor of the Bosnian genocide.

Speakers included the Mayor, Chair of the London Assembly, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, and Director of Programmes at the Holocaust Educational Trust, Clementine Smith.

Ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust delivered their reflections on participating in the Lessons from Auschwitz programme. The programme offers post-16 students the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust, the role of camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, the individuals whose lives were affected, and to reflect on the relevance of the Holocaust today. 

The El Male Rachamim memorial prayer was read by Rabbi Epstein and Rebbetzin Ilana Epstein of the Western Marble Arch Synagogue. Musical performances by the UK's most well-known Klezmer band, She'Koyokh Duo, opened and concluded the service.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Our service ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day provides an important opportunity to listen to the stories of survivors and reflect on some of humanity’s darkest chapters. As global tensions continue to escalate and divisions within our society increase, it is more important than ever to remember we have more in common than that which divides us. The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, ‘For a Better Future’, inspires us to learn lessons from history as we look forward and continue to build a better London for everyone.”

Chair of the London Assembly, Andrew Boff AM said: “I was deeply moved to hear the testimonies of survivors of the Holocaust and the Bosnian genocide today, and I sincerely thank them for all they do to remind us of the importance of rejecting hate and division. Eighty years on from the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the lessons we can learn from the survivors of these appalling crimes are as relevant and as important as ever. On behalf of the London Assembly, I encourage each and every Londoner to be vocal against the rise of antisemitism and islamophobia in light of the war in Gaza, and to stand up against racism and discrimination when we encounter it.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: “In this significant anniversary year, we are thrilled to once again partner with City Hall in commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. HMD provides a crucial opportunity for Londoners to come together and remember the six million Jews systematically murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, while also honouring those killed in more recent genocides. As we confront the enduring threats of prejudice and hate in our own time, we must draw strength from so many people from diverse backgrounds coming together to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Combating antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and all forms of prejudice is not just a responsibility - it is a collective call to action. Each of us has the power to help build a culture rooted in empathy, respect, and inclusion. By uniting our communities, we can create a future where everyone feels safe, valued, and truly respected.”

Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “We are proud to be once again supporting City Hall in marking Holocaust Memorial Day. This year, as we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, this commemoration could not be more crucial. This is likely to be the last milestone anniversary with a significant number of Holocaust survivors still with us, and as the Holocaust moves further into history it is more important than ever that we come together to remember the past. As antisemitism continues to be a real and present threat for Jewish people, it has never been more important to remember where this hatred can lead.”