Barnet’s multifaith community unites for Holocaust Memorial Day remembrance

Barnet’s annual Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration brought together faith leaders, survivors, students and residents to honour the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, in a borough home to the largest Jewish community of any local authority in the UK.

The ceremony, held at Middlesex University on Sunday, took place ahead of the national Holocaust Memorial Day on Tuesday 27 January. Around 15 percent of Barnet’s population – more than 56,000 people – identify as Jewish.

This year’s commemoration marked 81 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and 31 years since the genocide in Bosnia. The 2026 theme, Bridging Generations, focused on passing responsibility for remembrance from survivors to younger generations.

A central moment of the service came from Emily Cass, who shared The Story of Sala Slater, recounting how her mother survived the Holocaust as a Jewish refugee. Cass told of her mother’s escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, her flight through France and Switzerland, and her eventual reunion with her husband in Britain in 1945, where the couple rebuilt their lives in London.

Holocaust survivor Peter Summerfield BEM, 92, also attended and lit the memorial candle. Summerfield and his family escaped Berlin just days before the outbreak of the Second World War, arriving in Britain in August 1939 with only hand luggage after their possessions were stolen. Members of his family, including his grandmother and uncle, were later murdered by the Nazis.

The Worshipful Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Danny Rich, reflected on the continuing relevance of Holocaust remembrance. He said: “I approach Holocaust Memorial Day with a mixture of emotions, including, but not restricted to, humility and hope.

“If the Holocaust, perpetrated by the Nazis against primarily the Jews, is the defining episode of the twentieth century, it is also true that the capacity of human beings to inflict cruelty on their neighbours and others remains a stain on civilisation in the following years, not least in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

“The aspiration of a better world – rid of the scourge of hatred – begins with persons of goodwill affirming clearly that racism has no place in our society. That clarity of purpose can then be translated into bringing Barnet together, providing appropriate educational opportunities, and enabling future generations to mould a world characterised by moral clarity and human decency.”

Young people played a prominent role in the service. Student Katerina Angeli from East Barnet School spoke about her participation in the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz programme and read Barnet’s Statement of Commitment.

Music was provided by the Barnet Band, Alyth Youth Choir, Emma Rich, and the Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue Singing Circle.

At the close of the ceremony, students from Akiva School distributed snowdrops as part of Barnet’s ongoing project to plant a flower in memory of each of the 1.5 million murdered in the Holocaust. To date, 71,000 bulbs have been planted across the borough.

For the second year running, the council live-streamed the service on its YouTube channel, widening access to the commemoration beyond those able to attend in person.