Holocaust Memorial Day 2026: Bridging Generations at Mildmay
- web81754
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
On Holocaust Memorial Day, 27th January, we pause to remember the millions of people whose lives were destroyed by the Holocaust and by more recent genocides and to reflect on our shared responsibility to ensure these histories are never forgotten.
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2026, Bridging Generations, speaks powerfully to this moment in time. As we move further away from the events of the Holocaust, we rely increasingly on the voices of children, grandchildren and educators to carry survivors’ stories forward — bridging memory and action, history and hope.
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, Mildmay’s Chaplaincy hosted a talk in the hospital chapel. We were honoured to welcome Gerry Hahlo, who spoke about his father Dieter’s escape from Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport, a journey later documented in Gerry’s book The Boy on the Train.
Gerry reflects on how refugees, including Kindertransport children, went on to help build the prosperity of modern Britain, and why these stories matter now more than ever, at a time when the experiences of refugees and minorities risk being forgotten or misunderstood. His talk offered a deeply human perspective on persecution, survival and the responsibility each generation holds to remember.
Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us that remembrance does not end with survivors themselves. It lives on through testimony, education, storytelling and dialogue and through all of us who choose to listen, learn and pass these lessons on.
Given the current situation in Israel and Gaza is it too political to mark HMD?
No – we need to bring people together more than ever. HMD is a time to remember the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of people murdered under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Marking HMD is not subject to the conflict in Israel and Gaza or conflicts anywhere else. It is a day for everyone, a day when we remember all those millions of people murdered because of something that made them who they were – for example, their ethnicity or faith.
Local Activities
Thousands of local activities and HMD commemorations take place all over the UK, each year. To see what is taking place near you, search the HMD Map.
The UK Ceremony
HMD Trust organises an (invitation-only) UK Commemorative Ceremony for HMD each year. This is the focal point of HMD in the UK and brings together the civic, faith and political leadership of the country alongside survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides.
On HMD, curated moments from the UK ceremony will be broadcast, ending with our national moment, ‘Light the Darkness’ at 8pm.
To be notified on when to register for access to the ceremony moments and to stay informed regarding ‘Light the Darkness’ sign up to the HMDT newsletter at hmd.org.uk/newsletter.
On 27 January at 8pm, everyone is invited to light a candle and safely place it in their window to:
Remember those who were murdered for who they were
Stand against prejudice and hatred today
We will #LightTheDarkness on #HolocaustMemorialDay.
