70 candles to be lit across UK to mark 70th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz
Rudi Leavor, chairman of the Bradford Synagogue will light a special candle in Halifax Minster designed by Sir Anish Kapoor to begin a moment of reflection honouring the survivors of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides at the end of this month.
The event at 6.30pm on January 27, which will also see exhibitions, hear survivor stories as well as music and refreshments, was chosen from hundreds of applications sent to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the charity responsible for marking Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK.
Event organiser, Calderdale Interfaith Council says:
“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important focal point in the year and we are delighted to have been chosen to be part of this nationwide commemoration. It is vital that we remember and reflect upon the horrors of the past, and honour those who survived.”
Calderdale Council’s Leader, Cllr Stephen Baines, says:
“We continue to work closely with Calderdale Interfaith Council to bring people together from all walks of life and encourage mutual understanding between communities. We are very pleased to support the Holocaust Memorial Day event and it’s touching that Calderdale has been chosen to light a candle. We know how important it is for local residents to honour the many people affected by the Holocaust and subsequent genocides – the event and the candle will give them a moving and memorable way to reflect.”
All people of faith and no faith are invited to this event. Sir Anish’s candles will also be lit at a national commemorative event in central London and at Auschwitz as part of the international commemorations.
Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, says:
“Sir Anish Kapoor has created a beautiful candle to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. When all 70 of their candles are lit throughout the country, it will be a poignant moment of remembrance and a time for us all to ensure we keep the memory alive.”
Sir Anish Kapoor, 60, is best known for his sculpture work, including the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, an observation tower built in Stratford’s Olympic Park for London 2012, and Chicago’s mirrored, legume-shaped Cloud Gate, which is more commonly known as the Bean.
He was awarded the Turner Prize from the Tate in 1991 and received a Knighthood in the 2013 Birthday Honours list for his services to visual arts.
For more information about Holocaust Memorial Day and the events taking place visit www.hmd.org.uk or follow the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust on Twitter via @HMD_UK #HMD2015.
hmd.org.uk/ keepthememoryalive.hmd.org.uk/
About Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January is the day for everyone to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution and in the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. 27 January 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and 20 years since the Genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia