YORK residents are being invited to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day next week.

Every year, January 27 marks Holocaust Memorial Day, which sees people all across the world reflect on the Holocaust, as well as other genocides and persecutions worldwide.

In York, there will be a programme of commemorative events, under the national theme 'Ordinary People', which will remember the past, and also explore present day persecutions to encourage actions to make positive change for the future.

Cllr Darryl Smalley, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities, said: "As a city, we are committed to honouring and remembering those who have lost their lives in the atrocities of the Holocaust.

"As we take time to reflect, we must all work together to stop division and the spread of hatred in our society.

"We must be vigilant in our opposition to hatred, discrimination and oppression – and vigilant in defence of peace, respect and human rights.

"This Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to remember that we can all play a part and take action to challenge prejudice.”       

York Minster will host its annual Holocaust Memorial Commemoration on Wednesday, January 25, from 6.30pm, which will see 600 candles set out on the floor in the form of the Star of David, lit in the memory of more than six million Jews murdered by the Nazis in the Second World War.

Following Evensong, at 5.30pm in the Quire, the event will include readings, music, poetry, prayers and periods of silence for the quiet reflection.

The University of York will host a Holocaust Memorial Day Lecture on Tuesday, January 24 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, by author Rebecca Clifford, in which she reflects on her book 'Survivors: Children’s Lives after the Holocaust.'

Plus, the York Civic Party will host an event on Thursday, January 26 at York St John University's Creative Centre, Lord Mayor's Walk, from 6pm to 8pm, which will include 'The Jewish Wife' theatre performance by York St John students, and an eyewitness account of Ukraine.

Sam Borin, Holocaust Memorial Day Steering Committee Chair, said: "Holocaust Memorial Day gives us all the opportunity to reflect not only on events in the past, but on how our own actions can help to ensure that such atrocities do not happen in the future. We can all play our part, however small it may seem.

“On behalf of the Holocaust Memorial Steering Group, I’d like to thank everyone who has made the commemorative events possible. It is a great example of how by working together, we as ‘ordinary people’ can achieve much more than would have been possible alone.”

Full details of all the events are available at www.york.gov.uk/HolocaustMemorialDay