Holocaust Memorial Day was established in 2001 as a national day of remembrance for all of the victims of the Holocaust (in Hebrew, the Shoah).  Whilst Jews were by far the most numerous victims, six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis, Romany people, LBGT+ people and disables people were also murdered in their hundreds of thousands. Holocaust Memorial Day also serves as a day to remember the genocides that have continued to be perpetrated in the world, such as that of the Cambodian people, Tutsi people in Rwanda and Bosnian Muslims. The day of commemoration is 27th January each year, which was the day upon which the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Allies. More information can be found on the website of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. Click here for their website.

EHRS always commemorates Holocaust Memorial Day. In recent years we have been among the communities who lead the Borough of Barnet Commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day.
The EHRS choir performs each year and our Rabbis and Cantor help to lead the act of commemoration.

We often host our local schools to explain the Shoah to their pupils in a Synagogue where many of our members were first generation survivors and many still are second and third generation survivors of the Shoah.

2025

 
Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue (EHRS) hosted a Holocaust Memorial Day event for over 200 Year 9 students from Canons High Secondary School. This required extensive planning from both the school and EHRS, including the participation of over 30 EHRS volunteers. The school and EHRS worked closely to enable students to hear from a Holocaust survivor, Eva Clarke, and to participate in a workshop about a ‘Righteous Gentile’ Irena Sendler who saved thousands of Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto risking her own life to do so. The event concluded with a candle-lighting ceremony to remember the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and the victims of other genocides.

Mr David Bullock the Principal of Canons said “Year 9 students from Canons High School, were privileged to visit Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue as part of Holocaust Memorial Day 2025. Students and staff greatly appreciated the warm welcome they received and were deeply moved by the account of Eva Clarke, a Holocaust survivor. Year 9 student Kayne presented Eva with a gift of appreciation and sincerely thanked Eva ‘for sharing her story’. Students participated in thought-provoking workshops and had the opportunity to speak with members of the synagogue community. The day concluded with a short ceremony, during which students, teachers and the myself were invited to light candles to remember the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and the victims of other genocides. Year 9 left the synagogue with a greater understanding and a determination to challenge all forms of hatred in society, a truly inspirational experience for all.”

Quotes from the students:

“I appreciate all of the hard work, time and organisation put into this event. It was extremely informative but sorrowful.”

“ I would have been an upstander and fought against prejudice and violence.”

“We can stop hate and bullying by being good to each other.”

2024

 
In 2024 we held a special event at the synagogue. EHRS member and nationally renowned sculptor created a bust of her fellow Synagogue member Kurt Marx. Kurt, at 98 years of age, is often called upon to give his testimony as a survivor of the Shoah. He came to the UK on the Kindertransport from his birthplace in Cologne in 1939. The two videos below; show Kurt giving his testimony Part 1 traces Kurt’s testimony from his birth in Cologne in 1925 up until his discovery that his parents had been murdered by the Nazis, and Part 2 is Kurt’s testimony on how he came to be able to speak about his experiences in schools and other public gatherings in the UK, Germany and Belarus.