January 27^th is Holocaust Memorial Day, a day to remember and reflect upon the millions of victims of the Nazi Holocaust, as well as the many subsequent victims of other genocides such as those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

It is difficult to comprehend the true scale of horror inflicted on the Jewish people and other victims, but the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust works to ensure that by understanding the nature of genocide we can help prevent these atrocities occurring again.

Sheffield and District Reform Jewish Congregation is holding a live music event ‘Mir Zaynen Do! We Are Here!’ on Sunday 28 January 2018, 7.30pm at the Central United Reform Church, and an exhibition of letters and artwork will be shown at the Winter Gardens until Monday 29^th.

I attended a moving candlelit vigil at the Winter Gardens, addressed by a number of religious and community figures, as well as a reflection by Susanne Pearson, who as a child escaped Nazi Europe on the Kindertransport in 1939. She told us her moving story of being one of 10,000 children travelling alone as refugees before the outbreak of war in 1939.

For more information about Holocaust Memorial Day please visit hmd.org.uk.