Mala Tribich to speak at Holocaust memorial event in Bournemouth

Mala will address people from across Bournemouth and Poole who will join together to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday 29 January. Organised by the Bournemouth and Poole Holocaust Memorial Day Committee the annual remembrance event will commemorate those who were killed or persecuted during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. The free event will take place at the Bournemouth Life Centre between 3pm and 5pm.

Between 1941 and 1945, the Nazis attempted to annihilate all of Europe’s Jews. This systematic attempt to murder the Jews is known as the Holocaust (The Shoah in Hebrew). By the end of the Holocaust, six million men, women and children had perished in ghettos, mass-shootings, concentration camps and extermination camps.

To commemorate all who died, candles will be lit by representatives who reflect the cultural diversity in the community. Symbolising the millions murdered in the Holocaust, smaller candles will also be lit by young people from the local area. Members of the Gay and Romani communities will then give presentations about how their communities were persecuted during the Holocaust. Tributes will also be paid to the victims of genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Darfur along with the millions who have been affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Lynda Ford-Horne, one of the organisers of the event, commented, ‘‘To prevent further tragedies, we should all think about what happens after genocide and of our own responsibilities in the wake of such horrific crimes. Asking important questions, we will be bringing together people from all areas of our community in remembrance. With some excellent speakers, this year we hope to have over 800 people attend.’’

Part of a national day of commemoration the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2017 is ‘How Can Life Go On?’ The Bournemouth and Poole event will, therefore, ask challenging questions faced by individuals, communities and nations in the aftermath of the Holocaust and of subsequent genocides around the world.