A Holocaust Memorial Day Civic Ceremony dedicated to remembering victims of genocide took place yesterday at Croydon Council’s Great Hall.
Candles were lit in memory of victims of the Holocaust and more recent genocides including Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur.
Using the theme of ‘Journeys’, the event explored the lives of those who have resettled in the UK.
Speakers included Bryan Huberman, son of Holocaust survivor Alfred Huberman. Huberman’s father was first detained in Ukraine’s Skarysko Kamennia concentration camp in 1944 and was later released from Buchenwald Camp in Germany by the Russian army. He was among 732 boys brought to Britain.
Councillor Vidhi Mohan, cabinet member for communities and economic development said: “Events like this are important because they teach us to learn from each other’s experiences and they also help bring the community together.”
Robert Agamlong, a Croydon resident with a Sudanese background, gave a speech before the screening of a short film about Apollinaire Kageruka, a Rwandan genocide survivor.